After hearing this, Chen Yu said excitedly, “Great, Boss Liu! Let’s find a time to discuss the details of the cooperation.”

“Okay, how about tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock in our store?” said Boss Liu.

“Okay, Boss Liu, we will be there on time at 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon.” After Chen Yu hung up the phone, he immediately told Wang Jianye and Master Li the good news.

The next day, Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li came to Boss Liu’s store. The two sides had an in-depth discussion on the details of the cooperation, including the research and development direction of new dishes, profit distribution, publicity and promotion, etc. After several hours of negotiation, the two sides finally reached a cooperation agreement.

“It’s a pleasure to work with you, Boss Liu! I hope the new dishes we jointly develop will be very popular.” Wang Jianye smiled and shook hands with Boss Liu.

“It’s a pleasure to work with you, Boss Wang! I believe our cooperation will be successful.” Boss Liu also said with a smile.

Coming out of Boss Liu’s shop, Wang Jianye said, “Master Li, it’s up to you now. Work well with their chef team to develop new and distinctive dishes.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Wang, I will do my best.” said Master Li.

After returning to the restaurant, Chef Li immediately began to communicate with the other chef team to determine the development plan for new dishes. Chen Yu was busy planning the promotion plan for new dishes, and Lao Li was also making final preparations for the establishment of an independent distribution system.

……

After successfully reaching a cooperation agreement with a niche catering brand, Chef Li quickly devoted himself to the research and development of new dishes. He and the other chef team agreed to discuss dishes at a fixed time every week and exchange cooking skills and food matching experiences.

On that day, the teams from both sides gathered in the kitchen of Wang’s All-in-One Restaurant, which was filled with fresh ingredients from all over the world. Chef Li spoke first: “Since we are cooperating, we must make dishes that have both our characteristics and can attract more customers. I want to combine our signature Korean soybean paste soup with your special spices. What do you think?”

Xiao Wang, the chef of the niche brand, thought for a moment and responded: “This is a good idea, but our spices are quite strong, so we have to pay attention to coordinating them with the rich taste of the soybean paste soup itself, so as not to steal the limelight from the soybean paste soup.”

“That’s right. I think we can start with the amount of spices used and then slowly adjust the proportions.” Master Li said as he picked up the spices next to him and observed them carefully.

Then, everyone started to try. Master Li skillfully made the soybean paste soup, while Xiao Wang added spices according to the proportions they discussed. The soup in the pot was bubbling, and the aroma gradually spread.

“Everyone try this first version and see how it tastes.” Chef Li scooped out a few bowls of soup and handed them to the chefs present.

After tasting the food, everyone expressed their opinions. One chef said, “The taste of the spices is still a bit strong, covering up the original flavor of the soybean paste soup.” Others suggested, “You can add some more seafood to enrich the taste.”

Chef Li listened carefully to everyone’s suggestions and continued to adjust the recipe. After many attempts, a new soup that combined the characteristics of both soups took shape.

At the same time, Chen Yu was also busy with marketing. He sat at his desk, facing the computer screen, repeatedly revising the promotional copy for the new dishes. “Xiao Zhang, do you think this copy highlights the characteristics of the new dishes?” Chen Yu turned around and asked his assistant Xiao Zhang.

Xiao Zhang looked at it and said, “Manager Chen, I think we can emphasize the uniqueness of the cooperation, such as ‘combining the unique flavors of two niche food brands to bring you an unprecedented taste experience’. Wouldn’t that be more attractive?”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Let’s change it like this.” Chen Yu said, and quickly started to make changes on the document.

In addition to copywriting, Chen Yu also actively contacted local food bloggers and media. He called a well-known food blogger and said, “Hello, is this food expert Xiao Li? I am Chen Yu from Wang’s All-in-One Restaurant. We have recently cooperated with another niche restaurant brand to launch a series of new dishes. We would like to invite you to experience them and help promote them.”

Food blogger Xiao Li said with interest: “Oh? That sounds interesting. What kind of dishes will they be collaborating on?”

Chen Yu introduced the features of the new dishes in detail. After listening, Xiao Li said, “Okay, I have time this weekend, and I will go to your place to try it then.”

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief and said to Xiao Zhang: “We must do a good job of promoting this so that more people can know about our new dishes.”

In the process of preparing for the launch of new dishes, Wang Jianye did not relax his attention on the independent delivery system. He and Lao Li calculated the delivery costs again and studied the delivery route planning.

“Mr. Li, according to the current budget, the cost of vehicle purchase and personnel training is still a bit high. Can we see if it can be optimized?” Wang Jianye said, pointing to the numbers on the report.

Lao Li adjusted his glasses and said, “Mr. Wang, regarding the vehicle purchase, I will talk to several suppliers and try to get a more favorable price. Regarding personnel training, I plan to invite experienced delivery staff to train new employees, which can save some training costs.”

“Okay, let’s do it. The delivery routes must also be planned well. The delivery time cannot be too long, which affects the customer experience.” Wang Jianye instructed.

Lao Li took out a map with the main areas around the restaurant and the addresses of the takeaways that are often ordered. “Mr. Wang, I have preliminarily planned several routes. Please take a look.” Lao Li pointed at the map and said, “We can reasonably arrange the delivery personnel and vehicles according to the order volume in different areas to improve the delivery efficiency.”

Wang Jianye carefully checked the map, discussed the rationality of the route with Lao Li, and put forward some suggestions for adjustment. After a period of intense preparation, the new dishes were finally ready to go online, and the independent delivery system also entered the final debugging stage. On the day the new dishes were launched, the restaurant was bustling with activity, and food blogger Xiao Li also arrived as scheduled.

“Manager Chen, these new dishes look very appetizing.” Xiao Li looked at the new dishes on the table, picked up the camera and started taking pictures.

“Mr. Li, please try it. This is carefully developed by both our teams.” Chen Yu said with a smile.

After tasting it, Xiao Li gave a thumbs up and said, “It tastes really good. This fusion idea is very novel. I will share this experience with my fans when I get back.”

At the same time, the first takeaway order sent through the independent delivery system also departed smoothly. Deliveryman Xiao Wang rode a brand new delivery vehicle and quickly drove to the customer’s address according to the planned route.

Early in the morning, the phone on Chen Yu’s desk rang rapidly. He just put down the documents in his hand and reached out to answer the phone. Before he could speak, he heard a dissatisfied customer’s voice on the other end of the phone: “What’s wrong with your takeaway? I’ve been waiting for a long time and it hasn’t arrived yet. I’m almost too hungry!” Chen Yu apologized quickly and asked in detail about the order information and delivery time. After comforting the customer and just hanging up the phone, his phone “ding dong” received another complaint message about the inconsistency between the portion of the new dishes and the promotional pictures.

Chen Yu’s brows were furrowed tightly, and he knew that if these problems were not solved in time, it would have a serious impact on the reputation and business of the restaurant. He immediately picked up the internal phone and dialed the number of Xiao Liu, who was in charge of delivery: “Xiao Liu, please come to my office immediately. There is a problem with the delivery.” Then he contacted Xiao Zhao, who was in charge of the quality control of the dishes: “Xiao Zhao, please come to my office immediately. Customers reported that there is a problem with the portion size of the dishes.”

After a while, Xiao Liu and Xiao Zhao hurried into the office. Xiao Liu’s forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and it was obvious that he had been jogging all the way. Chen Yu looked at them with a serious expression: “Xiao Liu, why is the delivery time extended? Is there a problem with the route planning, or is the deliveryman not familiar with the business?”

Xiao Liu stood up straight, looking a little nervous, and said quickly: “Manager Chen, I think some of the delivery staff may not be familiar with the new routes. Previously, we relied on the delivery system of the food delivery platform to plan the routes. We have just built an independent delivery system. Although we have done route planning training in the early stage, there is still a gap in actual operation. I will organize them to have another training immediately, and go over each route in detail to ensure that they can familiarize themselves as soon as possible.”

Chen Yu nodded and looked at Xiao Zhao again: “Xiao Zhao, what’s the matter with the portion sizes? The actual portions are different from the promotional pictures. This will affect customers’ trust in us. We must pay attention to this.”

Xiao Zhao quickly explained: “Manager Chen, I’m so sorry. It may be that the kitchen did not control the portion accurately enough when serving the food. Different chefs use different ingredients when cooking. I will communicate with Chef Li and formulate a stricter portion standard. In the future, we will serve the food according to the standard to ensure that this problem will not occur again.”

“Okay, you two go and do it quickly. Make sure it’s resolved as soon as possible.” Chen Yu said.

After Xiao Liu left the office, he immediately called all the delivery staff to the hotel conference room for emergency training. He held a map with each delivery area and the planned routes clearly marked on it. “Everyone, listen carefully. Our independent delivery system has just started running and there is a problem of long delivery time. This is the route we planned. Everyone should look at it carefully again, especially those sections prone to traffic jams and the best entry routes to the community.” Xiao Liu said, pointing to the key locations on the map.

“Xiao Liu, the doors of some communities are difficult to find. Can you tell us more details?” a deliveryman asked, raising his hand.

“No problem. I will compile a document with the detailed addresses and entrance methods of each community and send it to everyone. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the group.” Xiao Liu replied.

On the other side, Xiao Zhao came to the kitchen and saw Master Li busy at the stove. Xiao Zhao walked over and told Master Li about the problem reported by the customer. Master Li stopped what he was doing, wiped his hands, and said, “This is indeed our negligence. We need to set strict standards.”

Chef Li called all the chefs in the kitchen together and said, “From today on, every new dish must have a clear portion standard. For example, for this new fusion fried rice, the rice must be 300 grams, and the amount of the side dishes must also be accurate to grams. Everyone must strictly follow the standard when serving the dishes.”

“Master, do we need to prepare an accurate scale to weigh the ingredients?” asked a chef.

“Yes, this is a good idea, Xiao Zhao. Go buy a few scales that are accurate to grams and send them to the kitchen as soon as possible.” Master Li turned to Xiao Zhao and said.

“Okay, Master Li, I’ll do it right away.” After Xiao Zhao said this, he hurriedly left the kitchen to arrange the purchasing matters.

After solving these problems, Chen Yu came to Wang Jianye’s office to report the situation. He told Wang Jianye in detail what happened and the solution. After listening, Wang Jianye leaned back in his chair, thought for a moment, and said: “It is normal for new systems and new dishes to have problems at the beginning. The key is to solve them in time. Continue to pay attention to customer feedback and keep optimizing. Our independent distribution system and new dishes are hard to establish, and we can’t give up because of these small problems.”

“I understand, Mr. Wang. I have arranged Xiao Liu and Xiao Zhao to solve the problem, and I will continue to follow up later.” Chen Yu said.

In the following days, Chen Yu collected customer feedback every day and carefully analyzed the problems. Xiao Liu conducted multiple trainings for the delivery staff according to the plan, and organized the delivery staff to exchange experiences and adjust the routes in time after each delivery task. Xiao Zhao and Master Li worked together to develop detailed standards for the portion sizes of dishes, and posted them in a prominent location in the kitchen for the chefs to check at any time.

As time went on, the independent delivery system gradually got on track. The deliverymen became more and more familiar with the routes, and the delivery time was significantly shortened. Customers left messages on social media: “The delivery speed of this restaurant has become faster, and you don’t have to wait too long to eat hot meals.” “The deliverymen are very professional and have a very good attitude.”

As for the new dishes, with the promotion of food bloggers and the media, they attracted a large number of customers to taste them. The food blogger posted exquisite pictures of the new dishes and detailed tasting videos on his account, and wrote: “The new dishes launched by this restaurant are a feast for the taste buds, with a unique flavor and generous portions. Highly recommended!” This video received a lot of likes and reposts, and many customers came to check in after seeing it.

The number of customers in the restaurant and the number of takeout orders have increased significantly. During the peak dining hours, the restaurant is full, and the waiters are busy shuttling between the tables, serving delicious dishes to customers. The takeout packaging area is also full of food that is about to be delivered, and the deliverymen are coming in and out to take away the orders.

One day, an old customer walked into the restaurant and said to Chen Yu, “Xiao Chen, I’ve ordered takeout from you a few times recently, and I feel that there has been a big change. The delivery is fast, the portions are generous, and the taste is still as good as before.”

Chen Yu smiled and replied: “Thank you for your support. We will continue to work hard to bring you a better dining experience.”

Looking at the lively scene in the restaurant, Chen Yu felt a sense of accomplishment. But he knew that the market competition was fierce and he could not slack off. (End of this chapter)