Kevin returned to the Krusty Krab after finalizing the farm purchase. He went straight to his office, where Bob and Manny were already waiting with Lionel Hutz.
They spent the next half hour finalizing the renovation plans for Tweedy Farm, converting the old barns into proper jellyfish rearing facilities and chicken coops, repairing fences, upgrading water systems, and adding basic infrastructure. Lionel reviewed the contracts to make everything legally sound.
Once both sides were satisfied, they signed the documents.
Bob gave a confident thumbs-up. "We'll get the crew on it right away. The main work should be done in about a week."
Manny nodded enthusiastically. "¡Sí! We'll make it perfect."
Lionel gathered the papers with a smile. "I'll handle the rest of the filings. Congratulations on the new property, Mr. Harlan."
The three men left the office, leaving Kevin alone for a moment. He let out a long breath, feeling the weight of the new responsibility settle on his shoulders. Owning a farm was a big step, but it was necessary for long-term sustainability.
He stood up and headed to the kitchen. It was still relatively quiet, the lunch rush had passed, and there were no immediate orders.
Inside, he saw two familiar faces working at the stations: Horst and Pompidou, the two new hires recommended by Colette. Both were former chefs from Gusteau's who had been left jobless after the restaurant's closure.
Horst was a tall, serious-looking man with a stern face and a habit of claiming he had served prison time for various dramatic reasons like defrauding a major corporation, robbing the second largest bank in France with only a ballpoint pen, creating an ozone hole over Avignon, or killing a man with his right thumb. He was currently chopping vegetables with military precision.
Pompidou, the former patissier, was a shorter, rounder man with a cheerful demeanor. Before becoming a chef, he had been a compulsive gambler and was famously banned from casinos in Las Vegas and Monte Carlo. He was carefully preparing a dessert station, humming to himself.
Kevin washed his hands thoroughly and approached them.
"Horst, Pompidou. I'm going to cook the new recipes we'll be adding to the menu. Since it's quiet right now, I'd like both of you to watch and learn. You'll help teach SpongeBob and Colette later."
Horst nodded seriously. "Of course."
Pompidou smiled brightly. "I'm ready, boss!"
Kevin started with Teddy Pizza.
He gathered the ingredients on the worktop: olive oil, flour, butter, a can of sardines, pepperoni, mushrooms, and cheese. "We're making a big circle for the head and two smaller circles for the ears to form Teddy's face."
He poured flour into a large bowl, added butter, and began kneading the dough with strong, steady hands. Once it was smooth, he rolled it out with a rolling pin, then tossed the large piece of dough into the air with a practiced flip, catching it smoothly. He repeated the motion a few times, stretching it into a perfect large circle. He then shaped two smaller dough circles for the ears and attached them to the main base.
He spread olive oil as the base, added a light tomato sauce, sprinkled cheese generously, and arranged pepperoni and mushrooms to form the teddy bear face, two round pepperoni for eyes, a smaller one for the nose, and curved sausage pieces for the mouth. He carefully placed the two smaller dough ears on top.
"Into the oven at high heat until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly," Kevin said as he slid the tray in.
Next, he moved on to Pretty Patties.
"The process is similar to the Krabby Patty, but with a special ingredient that makes it colorful and temporary changes the eater's appearance," Kevin explained. "The secret ingredient is called Chromatic Essence, a rare powder that's hard to get. We only have a limited supply right now, so these will be a limited item until we find a reliable supplier."
He prepared the patty mixture exactly like the Krabby Patty, seaweed buns, seasoned patty with salt, turmeric, seaweed paste, Sea Horseradish Sauce, chum, chili peppers, and breadcrumbs, but added a small measured amount of the shimmering Chromatic Essence powder. The mixture immediately took on a vibrant hue depending on the amount used.
He formed the patties and grilled them. As they cooked, the color became more pronounced bright pink, blue, green, or yellow depending on the batch.
"Once eaten, the consumer's skin will temporarily turn the color of the patty for about an hour, along with their tongue glowing in the dark and changing color. It's completely harmless and wears off naturally."
He plated a few colorful Pretty Patties and set them aside.
"Did you two get it?" Kevin asked.
Horst nodded thoughtfully. "The Chromatic Essence, we'll need to be very careful with the dosage."
Pompidou smiled. "The Teddy Pizza is delightful. The presentation will sell itself."
Kevin nodded. "Good. We'll introduce both tomorrow as limited specials. Let's keep the regular menu running smoothly for now."
He felt a quiet sense of accomplishment.
The menu was expanding, the team was growing, and the restaurant was slowly becoming something special.
The only thing left was figuring out how to make the new farm work and what to do with the five Martian cows currently grazing in his backyard.