Chen Yu’s voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of confidence in his tone: “No problem, I will post an announcement on social media to explain the reasons for our adjustment and emphasize that we are still committed to providing high-quality dishes.”

Wang Jianye breathed a sigh of relief, with a hint of gratitude in his tone: “Okay, we must make sure that customers understand our efforts.”

The sauce samples from the Malaysian supplier finally arrived. The courier braved the heavy rain to deliver the package to the restaurant entrance. The purchasing manager personally signed for it and then hurriedly sent the package to the kitchen. Chef Li was busy in the kitchen. When he heard the news, he immediately put down his work, walked quickly to the package, and carefully unpacked it.

Several bottles of sauce were neatly arranged in the package, with labels in Malaysian on them. Master Li picked up a bottle, examined it carefully, then opened the bottle cap, scooped a little with a spoon, and tasted it carefully. His brows furrowed slightly, and then he made a few notes in his notebook. Then he opened another bottle of sauce and repeated the same steps.

Wang Jianye walked into the kitchen and saw Master Li busy at work, so he walked over and asked, “Master Li, have the sauce samples arrived? How do they taste?”

Master Li put down the spoon, looked up and replied, “It’s here. I’ve tested a few bottles. The taste of this sauce produced in Malaysia is similar to that of Korea. Although there are slight differences, after adjustments, it should be able to meet the needs of the dish.”

Wang Jianye nodded, with a hint of expectation in his tone: “Okay, let’s finalize it as soon as possible to ensure that the taste and quality of the dishes are not affected.”

Master Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “I will continue testing and try to finish it today.”

For the next few hours, Chef Li was busy in the kitchen. He mixed Malaysian sauces with existing seasonings, trying different proportions to find the recipe that was closest to the original flavor. The kitchen was filled with the smell of various spices, and there was a faint smell of steam in the air. Chef Li’s forehead was covered with beads of sweat, but he had no intention of stopping.

Finally, in the evening, Master Li found a satisfactory formula. He picked up the phone and dialed Wang Jianye’s number: “Mr. Wang, the formula of the alternative sauce has been determined. Would you like to come and try it?”

Wang Jianye quickly rushed to the kitchen, and Master Li handed him the newly prepared sauce. Wang Jianye picked up the spoon, scooped a little into his mouth, and tasted it carefully. His brows relaxed slightly, and then nodded: “It tastes good, although there are slight differences, but overall it is still very close.”

Master Li breathed a sigh of relief and a relaxed smile appeared on his face: “I will continue to optimize the formula to ensure customer satisfaction.”

At the same time, the purchasing manager was also busy with the supply of local vegetables. He called the local supplier and said pleadingly, “Hello, there is a problem with the vegetable supply of our restaurant, and the price has risen sharply. Can you give us some discounts and give priority to our supply?”

The supplier on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then replied: “The market conditions are indeed not good now, but we have been cooperating for many years. I can try to give you some discounts and give you priority in supply.”

The purchasing manager breathed a sigh of relief and said with gratitude: “Thank you, the operation of our hotel depends on your support.”

After hanging up the phone, the purchasing manager immediately told Wang Jianye the good news. Wang Jianye nodded and said firmly: “Okay, continue to follow up and make sure everything goes well.”

In the following days, the purchasing manager held several negotiations with local suppliers. He explained in detail the difficulties faced by the restaurant and emphasized the importance of long-term cooperation. The supplier finally agreed to give a certain degree of discount on the price and give priority to the restaurant’s vegetable supply.

Wang Jianye stood at the entrance of the restaurant, watching a truck loaded with vegetables slowly drive into the parking lot. He walked over and said to the purchasing manager, “Thank you for your hard work. This time it’s all thanks to you.”

The purchasing manager shook his head, with a hint of fatigue in his tone: “This is what I should do. As long as the restaurant can operate smoothly, it is worth it no matter how hard it is.”

As the food supply problem was gradually resolved, the restaurant’s operations gradually returned to normal. However, customers began to notice that the taste of some dishes had changed slightly. A regular customer said to the waiter after dining: “Today’s kimchi pot seems to taste a little different. Did they change the recipe?”

The waiter smiled and replied with a hint of apology in his tone: “Yes, due to the recent supply of ingredients, we have slightly adjusted the recipe, but tried our best to maintain the original flavor. I hope you like it.”

The customer nodded, with a hint of understanding in his tone: “It tastes good, but I’m a little uncomfortable.”

After hearing the customer’s feedback, Wang Jianye walked to the kitchen and said to Chef Li, “Customers are somewhat sensitive to changes in taste. We need to continue to adjust and try to make the changes less obvious.”

Chef Li nodded, with a hint of determination in his tone: “I will continue to optimize the recipe to ensure customer satisfaction.” At the same time, Chen Yu is also working hard for customer understanding and support. He posted an announcement on social media, explaining in detail the reasons for the adjustment of ingredients and emphasizing the restaurant’s insistence on quality. The announcement reads:

“Dear customers, due to the recent natural disasters, we have some problems with the supply of ingredients. In order to ensure the quality and taste of the dishes, we have to make minor adjustments to the recipes of some dishes. We are well aware that these changes may cause you inconvenience, but please believe that we are always committed to providing you with the best dining experience. Thank you for your understanding and support!”

After the announcement was released, customers left messages in the comment section to express their understanding and support. One customer wrote: “I understand your difficulties, and I hope the restaurant can resume normal operations as soon as possible!” Another customer said: “The new flavors are also very good, I support you!”

Wang Jianye saw these messages and smiled with satisfaction. He called Chen Yu and said with a hint of gratitude: “Chen Yu, the announcement was very effective and the customers responded very positively.”

Chen Yu’s voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of confidence in his tone: “This is what we should do. As long as customers understand our efforts, everything will be fine.”

……

One day at noon, the sun shone unreservedly on the desk in Wang Jianye’s office, with mottled light and shadow. Wang Jianye was concentrating on checking the business data of the day, and his pen was occasionally scratching on the notebook to record key information. Suddenly, a noisy noise broke the tranquility of the office. He put down his pen, walked to the window with doubts, and looked out.

A long line of people formed in front of the newly opened restaurant across the street, and the crowds were bustling like a boiling pot. A huge banner with red and yellow characters was hung at the entrance of the restaurant: “Grand opening promotion, 5% off on all dishes, free tasting of limited edition special dishes!” Several waiters in neat uniforms stood at the door, with enthusiastic smiles on their faces and flyers in their hands, actively introducing the event content to passers-by, not letting go of any potential customers.

Wang Jianye frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes, and he felt uneasy in his heart. He quickly returned to his desk, picked up the phone, and dialed Chen Yu’s number. After the call was connected, Wang Jianye asked anxiously: “Chen Yu, have you seen the promotion of the restaurant opposite?”

Chen Yu’s voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of nervousness in his tone: “I see, Mr. Wang. Their event this time is so powerful that it has attracted a lot of customers. When I passed by just now, I saw their waiters handing out flyers everywhere, and even some of our old customers were attracted to them.”

Wang Jianye took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and said firmly: “We can’t just sit there and wait for death. We must take action as soon as possible. Don’t panic. Let’s have a meeting this afternoon to discuss countermeasures together.”

That afternoon, Wang Jianye called a team meeting. The atmosphere in the conference room was so solemn that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it. The wall clock ticked, as if counting down for this fierce business war. Wang Jianye sat at one end of the conference table, holding a competitor’s event plan in his hand. He slowly looked around at everyone present, and then said, “As you can see, the promotional activities of the restaurant opposite have caused a considerable impact on our business. In just one morning, our customer flow has dropped significantly. We must take action as soon as possible to prevent further loss of customers.”

Chen Yu sat next to Wang Jianye, nodded slightly, and took over the conversation: “Mr. Wang, I think we can launch some limited-time discounts. For example, ‘Limited-time Special Package’, which provides a package combination with a large discount within a specific time period; and ‘Member Exclusive Offer’ to further enhance member stickiness. At the same time, we must strengthen publicity and highlight our unique advantages, such as our unique Korean-Singapore fusion dishes and the high-quality service that we have always been proud of.”

At this time, Xiao Wu, a marketing specialist sitting on the other side of the conference table, couldn’t help but interrupt and said, “Manager Chen is right. I think we can use multiple channels to promote our restaurant. In addition to posting posters and handing out flyers at the entrance of our restaurant, we can also use social media platforms to promote our restaurant and post pictures and videos of new dishes to attract more young customers. Young people love to browse social media nowadays, so it may have unexpected effects.”

Master Li sat in a corner, thinking about something. After hearing everyone’s discussion, he also spoke up: “I can develop a few new dishes as limited-time specials to attract customers to try them. For example, we can launch a ‘Korean spicy sauce grilled chicken’, marinating the tender chicken with authentic Korean spicy sauce, and then using a unique grilling method to make the chicken crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Paired with Singapore-style coconut rice, the rice absorbs the aroma of the chicken and has a strong coconut aroma. It is both innovative and can highlight our characteristics.”

Zhang, the purchasing manager, pushed his glasses on his nose and added, “I have some ideas as well. We can negotiate with suppliers to get some discounts, reduce costs, and ensure profits during the event. In addition, I suggest that we can also launch some combination packages, such as the ‘family package’, which includes a variety of dishes to meet the different tastes of the family; or the ‘friends gathering package’, which has a larger portion and a more affordable price. It can not only increase the average customer spending, but also attract more customers. I have dealt with several suppliers before, and they are relatively easy to talk to. I should be able to get a good price if I negotiate with them.”

At this time, Xiao Liu, who is in charge of customer relations, also spoke up: “I think we can also launch some special benefits for old customers, such as giving away coupons, doubling points, etc. Old customers are more loyal to us, so it is also important to maintain them well. I plan to call old customers one by one and introduce the activities to them in person, so that they can feel our attention.”

Sister Lin, the financial director, adjusted her glasses and continued, “In terms of costs and profits, I will pay close attention to the financial situation during the event. According to the budget of the event, I will strictly control various expenditures. Although the promotional activities will reduce profits to a certain extent, as long as we can attract enough customers, the subsequent benefits will still be considerable. I will organize the financial statements every day and report to everyone in a timely manner to ensure the financial feasibility of the event.”

Lao Zhou, the human resources director, also expressed his opinion: “During the event, the customer flow will definitely increase, and there may be some shortage of manpower. I will arrange the staff’s shifts in advance to ensure that there are enough people in each position. At the same time, I will strengthen the training of employees to familiarize them with the event content and new dishes so that they can better serve customers.”

Wang Jianye listened to everyone’s speeches, nodding his head from time to time to show his agreement, with a hint of praise in his tone: “Everyone’s ideas are very good. Chen Yu, you are responsible for formulating a detailed marketing plan, planning the publicity channels and details of the promotional activities; Master Li, you will be responsible for developing new dishes as soon as possible, and strive to have them on the table when the event is launched; the purchasing department is responsible for communicating with suppliers to ensure the supply of ingredients and strive for the biggest discount; Xiao Wu, you should pay more attention to publicity and promotion, and work closely with Chen Yu; Xiao Liu, the work of maintaining old customers is handed over to you, and you must let old customers feel our sincerity; Sister Lin, you have to control the financial aspect; Lao Zhou, the staff arrangement and training are up to you. We must launch the event within three days to seize the market opportunity.”

After the meeting, everyone took action immediately. Chen Yu returned to the office, sat in front of the computer, and began to write a marketing plan. Sometimes he frowned, thinking about the specific details of the event; sometimes he quickly tapped on the keyboard to turn his ideas into words. He also discussed the specific form and distribution channels of the promotion with Xiao Wu from time to time. Xiao Wu looked through the information on various social media platforms and put forward his own opinions. (End of this chapter)