The e-commerce operation team often felt overwhelmed by the huge volume of orders and inquiries. Wang Jianye keenly realized that the hotel had reached a critical moment when it had to expand its scale.

That day, the sun shone through the window onto the sofa in Wang Jianye’s office. He called Chen Yu and Master Li to his office. The three of them sat around the sofa. On the coffee table were some documents and drawings, which detailed the information of the surrounding shops and the preliminary expansion plan of the kitchen. Wang Jianye pointed at the drawings and said attentively: “Look, our business is developing rapidly now, and the original kitchen area can no longer meet the current needs. I am thinking of renting the store next door and connecting it to expand the kitchen area.”

Chen Yu leaned forward slightly, carefully studying the blueprint, and after thinking for a moment, he said, “Boss Wang, expanding the kitchen area is indeed a good idea. In this way, not only can production efficiency be greatly improved, but more orders can also be handled calmly. However, you have to be extra careful in the decoration planning. You have to divide the functional areas reasonably, such as clearly distinguishing the food pre-processing area, cooking area, and finished product packaging area, so as to ensure that the kitchen operation process is smooth and unobstructed, avoiding confusion and delays.”

Chef Li nodded vigorously and added, “Yes, Manager Chen is right. In addition to functional area planning, the placement of equipment is also crucial. Equipment such as stoves, ovens, and refrigeration equipment must be reasonably laid out according to the operating procedures and frequency of use. At the same time, sufficient space for personnel operation must be reserved. We must not ignore practicality in pursuit of larger area, which will affect the work efficiency of chefs.”

Wang Jianye agreed: “You two are right. These details must be considered carefully. In addition, as the scale expands, the staff must also keep up. In particular, experienced chefs and e-commerce operators must be recruited as soon as possible.”

Chen Yu responded without hesitation: “Leave the recruitment to me. I will start preparing right away. Publish the recruitment information as soon as possible, conduct strict screening, and ensure that only the right talents are recruited.”

Chef Li then said, “I will personally supervise the chefs. The new chefs must have strong skills and can quickly adapt to the food production process of our restaurant and integrate into our team.”

“Okay, then we will have a clear division of labor and each do our own job.” Wang Jianye said with a firm gaze, “On the fundamental premise of ensuring the quality of the dishes, we will do our best to expand the scale of production to meet the needs of more customers.”

Chen Yu nodded in agreement: “That’s right, Mr. Wang. At the same time, brand promotion cannot be left behind. We have to increase our efforts to let more people know about our brand.”

Chef Li also expressed his enthusiasm: “In terms of food research and development, I will continue to work hard to launch new dishes and always keep the dishes fresh and competitive.”

Wang Jianye patted the two on the shoulders and said earnestly, “It is not enough for us to work hard alone. We need to mobilize the whole team to work hard together. Chen Yu, you organize a general staff meeting and explain our development plan in detail to everyone, so that every employee knows the development direction of the hotel and works together to make our brand bigger and stronger.”

“Okay, Mr. Wang.” Chen Yu responded firmly.

Not long after, a general staff meeting was held in the hotel’s conference room. The meeting room was packed with employees sitting in neat rows, their faces full of concentration and expectation. Chen Yu stood in front of the conference room, cleared his throat, and began to say: “Everyone knows that our hotel can develop to this day, which is inseparable from the hard work of everyone. Now, we have set a new goal to build all Wang’s hotels into a nationally renowned catering brand. This requires us to continue to work hard and exert the greatest energy in our respective positions.”

The employees in the audience nodded one after another, their eyes flashing with anticipation and enthusiasm, as if the fire in their hearts had been ignited.

Chen Yu continued, “Colleagues in the kitchen, dish development and quality control are of utmost importance. Chef Li will lead everyone to develop more delicious new dishes. I hope everyone will actively cooperate to bring customers a richer food experience together.”

Chef Li stood up with a friendly smile on his face and said to everyone: “If you have any good ideas for dishes, don’t hide them and tell me at any time. Let’s work together to make our dishes more outstanding.”

Chen Yu then turned his attention to the e-commerce operation team and said: “The e-commerce operation team should continue to optimize the platform and improve the customer’s shopping experience in all aspects. At the same time, we should increase brand publicity to let more people appreciate the charm of our brand.”

Operations specialist Xiao Zhao stood up and said confidently, “Manager Chen, don’t worry, we will do our best to get the job done and make more customers fall in love with our brand.”

……

In the following days, the renovation of the hotel was carried out in an orderly manner, just like a precision machine. In the store next door, the construction scene was in full swing.

The electric drill made a sharp and regular “sizzling” sound, and the knocking sound was like an exciting drumbeat, one after another. The construction workers performed their duties, their clothes were soaked with sweat, but their eyes showed concentration and persistence.

With this lively background, Chef Li, like a commanding general, led his team of chefs in the existing kitchen to continue to devote themselves to the research and development of new dishes. The flames on the stove jumped happily, as if cheering for this journey of food exploration.

“Xiao Wang, make another portion of this new recipe of curry rice cake. This time, pay attention to the heat of the curry and don’t overcook it, otherwise it will be bitter.” Master Li closely watched the ingredients cooking in the pot and patiently instructed Chef Xiao Wang. His eyes were full of rigor and concentration, as if he was examining a work of art that was about to be completed.

“Okay, Master.” Xiao Wang stared at the stove with full concentration, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead, and carefully adjusted the heat with his hands, as if he was performing a delicate operation that depended on success or failure. At this time, the kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of curry, mixed with the aroma of rice cakes, which made people salivate.

At the same time, in another office of the hotel, Chen Yu was sitting at his desk with resumes of new employees piled in front of him. He carefully screened the resumes, quickly scanning the documents one by one, frowning slightly from time to time, nodding slightly, as if he was conducting a rigorous talent selection. At the same time, he was planning a new round of brand promotion activities with the operation team.

“Xiao Qian, for this promotional campaign, can we cooperate with some food bloggers and ask them to help promote our new dishes and e-commerce platforms?” Chen Yu raised his head and looked at the operations specialist Xiao Qian, his eyes full of thought and expectation.

Xiao Qian lowered his head slightly, thought for a moment and then replied, “Manager Chen, this is a good idea. Nowadays, food bloggers have a great influence, and their recommendations can attract many potential customers. I will contact some food bloggers with a large number of fans and a good reputation to discuss the details of cooperation with them. Bloggers who often share special foods and have a high fan interaction rate should be able to bring us good publicity effects.”

“Okay, we’ll implement it as soon as possible and try to let more people know about our brand,” Chen Yu said with certainty, his eyes revealing a firm determination. “We must not only let more people know that we have new dishes, but also highlight the convenience and advantages of e-commerce platforms to attract more customers to buy online.”

Wang Jianye was like a diligent guardian, shuttling back and forth between various links, paying close attention to the overall progress and direction. He first came to the decoration site, and the construction manager saw him and immediately came to greet him. “Mr. Wang, the current progress of the project is relatively smooth. The wall demolition and water and electricity renovation have been completed. Next, we will prepare to install the kitchen equipment.” The construction manager reported the situation.

Wang Jianye nodded and carefully inspected the construction site to check the quality of the construction. He gently knocked on the newly built wall to feel its solidity, and checked the laying of water and electricity lines to ensure safety and rationality. “We must ensure the quality of the construction, and we cannot ignore the details just because we are rushing the progress,” Wang Jianye urged.

After leaving the renovation site, Wang Jianye went to the kitchen again. At this time, Master Li and Xiao Wang were tasting the freshly made curry rice cake.

“Master, this time the curry rice cake tastes much better than last time. The curry has a strong flavor but is not bitter, and the rice cake is soft, glutinous and chewy.” Xiao Wang said excitedly.

Master Li smiled and nodded. Seeing Wang Jianye coming in, he said, “Boss Wang, come and try it. This is the newly developed curry rice cake. We adjusted the formula and the heat, and the taste is gradually stabilizing.”

Wang Jianye took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of curry rice cake and put it in his mouth. After chewing it carefully, he said, “Well, it tastes really good, with a unique flavor. However, it can be improved a little bit, such as putting more effort into the taste of the rice cake to make it more layered.”

“Okay, Mr. Wang, let’s study it further.” Master Li wrote it down carefully.

After leaving the kitchen, Wang Jianye went to the e-commerce operation office. Chen Yu and Xiao Qian were discussing the preliminary plan for cooperation with food bloggers.

“Mr. Wang, we have preliminarily screened several food bloggers. Here are their information and cooperation intentions.” Xiao Qian handed a document to Wang Jianye.

Wang Jianye took the document, flipped through it carefully, and said, “These bloggers have a good influence, but we need to pay attention to the way and content of cooperation, and we must highlight the characteristics and advantages of our hotel.”

“Okay, Mr. Wang, we will communicate with the bloggers in detail to ensure the publicity effect.” Chen Yu said.

As new employees gradually joined the company, the restaurant became more lively. Master Li personally took the new chef Xiao Zhang to familiarize himself with the kitchen environment and the process of making dishes. He picked up a can of special Korean soybean paste from the shelf and said to Xiao Zhang: “Xiao Zhang, this is our special Korean soybean paste. When making seafood soybean paste soup, the amount must be accurate. A little more or less will affect the taste of the whole dish. Just like this, add according to the amount of this spoon.” Master Li demonstrated it skillfully.

Xiao Zhang stared at Master Li’s movements, watching carefully, nodded and said, “Okay, Master, I remember. This soybean paste smells so good, is it any different from ordinary soybean paste?”

Chef Li smiled and explained: “This is our special blend. We added some unique spices to it, so the taste is richer and more layered, which makes the seafood paste soup taste more unique.”

On the other side, Chen Yu was training the new e-commerce operators. In the meeting room, the new employees sat in neat rows, looking focused.

“User experience is crucial for our e-commerce platform. Every page layout and every operation process may affect the customer’s purchasing decision. We should think more from the customer’s perspective at work. If you, as a customer, find something inconvenient, please raise it immediately and we will optimize it together.” Chen Yu said.

A new employee raised his hand and asked, “Manager Chen, what should we do if a customer has special requirements for a product?”

Chen Yu smiled and replied: “If customers have special requests, we should first listen patiently and try to meet them if possible. If we cannot meet them, we should politely explain the reasons to the customers and provide some alternatives so that the customers can feel our sincerity and service attitude.”

The new employees nodded and listened carefully to Chen Yu’s instructions.

……

With the concerted efforts of all members, the restaurant is like a thriving new star, gradually expanding in size and radiating vigor and vitality. The newly completed kitchen is an ideal palace for gourmet food production, with a spacious and bright area. The sunlight shines through the clean windows and onto every inch of the operating table, making people feel happy.

The functional areas are divided in a meticulous and reasonable manner. The food pre-processing area, cooking area, finished product packaging area and other areas are clearly defined and orderly. All kinds of brand-new equipment are placed in an orderly manner, like well-trained soldiers, ready to devote themselves to the creation of delicious food at any time. Such a reasonable layout has greatly improved production efficiency. The chefs are busy shuttling around and cooperating with each other, just like a wonderful food symphony being performed.

As the core of the kitchen team, Chef Li has demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovative spirit. He led his team members to explore the ocean of food and developed a series of new dishes that are eye-catching. Among them, the kimchi seafood rice noodles, which combines the flavor of Korean kimchi and the characteristics of Singaporean fried rice noodles, became a favorite of customers as soon as it was launched.

When you first see this dish, the colorful combination is enough to attract your attention. The golden rice noodles curl slightly on the plate, as if telling of its flexibility; tender shrimps, delicious squids and green vegetables are intertwined and dotted in between;

The bright red kimchi is like a finishing touch, adding a bit of attractive color to the whole dish. If you smell it closely, the sour and spicy smell of kimchi and the delicious taste of seafood blend together, stimulating your olfactory nerves and making you salivate.

Pick up a piece of rice noodles with chopsticks and put it in your mouth. The first thing you feel is the smoothness of the rice noodles. Then, the sourness and spiciness of the kimchi bursts in your mouth, stimulating your taste buds. Then, the freshness of the seafood and the freshness of the vegetables appear one after another. The various flavors are intertwined, yet harmoniously unified, bringing you a rich and wonderful taste feast. (End of this chapter)