Chen Yu is responsible for the market research and promotion of the Rio de Janeiro branch. He has a deep understanding of the local market environment, consumer habits and competitors, and has developed a personalized promotion plan. During the promotion process, he made full use of Rio de Janeiro’s cultural characteristics, such as carnival and beaches, and closely integrated the restaurant’s fusion cuisine with local culture, attracting the attention of local residents and tourists.

In the process of preparing for the Rio de Janeiro branch, Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li seemed to be in a challenging adventure. Rio de Janeiro, this passionate and vibrant coastal city, attracted them like a shining pearl, but the road to preparation was full of thorns.

In the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro, the sun shines blazingly on the streets, and the shadows of the buildings are scattered on the ground. Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li shuttled through the streets and alleys, looking for an ideal store. When they finally found a store located in a busy business district and close to the beach, their excitement was beyond words. However, after the first contact with the landlord, a basin of cold water ruthlessly extinguished some of their enthusiasm – the store rent was nearly one-third higher than that in Sao Paulo.

Wang Jianye frowned, standing in front of the store, looking at the bustling crowd, thinking about the balance between cost and benefit. Chen Yu also looked embarrassed and said, “Boss Wang, the rent is really too high. It puts a huge pressure on our cost control. The rent in Sao Paulo was not low to begin with, and here in Janeiro it’s directly on a higher level.”

Wang Jianye took a deep breath and said with a firm look, “Xiao Chen, although the pressure is great, this location is indeed excellent. It has a large flow of people and is close to the beach. There are many tourists, which is very beneficial to the development of our restaurant. We have to find a way to talk to the landlord and try to reduce the rent.”

In the following days, Wang Jianye and the landlord started a long and difficult negotiation. The landlord was a middle-aged man named Carlos, with a burly figure and shrewd eyes. In an elegantly decorated office, Wang Jianye and Carlos sat opposite each other.

Wang Jianye smiled and said, “Mr. Carlos, we like your store very much. The location is really ideal. However, the current rent is really stressful for new merchants like us. Do you think you can give us some discounts on the rent?”

Carlos crossed his arms and shook his head slightly. “Mr. Wang, you know that stores in this area are always in high demand, and the rent is already the market price. And the rents of the surrounding stores are not low, so I’m being very fair.”

Wang Jianye was not discouraged. He patiently explained, “Mr. Carlos, we plan to build a unique fusion restaurant here. It will definitely attract a large number of customers in the future and bring more popularity and vitality to this area. If you can support us with the rent, our long-term cooperation will also be a good thing for you.”

Carlos thought for a moment and said, “Mr. Wang, you have a point. But I also have my difficulties. The maintenance cost of this store is not low.”

Wang Jianye struck while the iron was hot: “Mr. Carlos, we are willing to sign a long-term lease contract, which can provide you with stable income. And we will run it carefully to make the restaurant a highlight of this neighborhood. Do you think the rent can be reduced or the increment can be discounted?”

After many rounds of negotiations, Carlos was finally moved by Wang Jianye’s sincerity and the development prospects of the restaurant. In the end, they signed a long-term lease contract and negotiated a relatively reasonable rental price. When Wang Jianye walked out of the office, the sun shone on him, he breathed a sigh of relief, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

At the same time, Chen Yu also encountered difficulties in personnel recruitment and management. The local labor laws and employment practices in Rio de Janeiro are significantly different from those in Sao Paulo. Chen Yu sat in the hotel room with documents piled on the table. He frowned and carefully studied the local labor laws.

“This is a bit tricky. The regulations are different from those in São Paulo in many aspects.” Chen Yu said to himself.

In order to better understand local employment practices, Chen Yu contacted a friend, Anna, who has been working in human resources in Rio de Janeiro for many years. The two met in a cafe. Anna was dressed fashionably, and her eyes revealed professionalism and competence.

Chen Yu said anxiously, “Anna, I’m planning to open a restaurant now, and I don’t know much about the hiring practices here. You have to help me. For example, the working hours, vacation system, and salary structure of the employees here are different from those in Sao Paulo. How can I formulate a suitable recruitment and management system?”

Anna smiled and said, “Mr. Chen, employees in Rio de Janeiro generally pay more attention to the balance between work and life, and their working hours are relatively flexible. In terms of vacation system, in addition to statutory holidays, there are also some local festivals. In terms of salary structure, in addition to basic salary, bonuses and benefits are also very important, which can improve the enthusiasm of employees.”

Chen Yu listened and took notes carefully, asking questions from time to time: “Is there anything we need to pay special attention to during the recruitment process?”

Anna thought for a moment and said, “The employees here value the company’s culture and development prospects. So when recruiting, you should clearly convey your restaurant’s philosophy and future plans. In addition, during the interview process, pay more attention to the assessment of communication skills and teamwork spirit.”

With Anna’s help, Chen Yu conducted in-depth research on local labor laws and employment practices, and based on the restaurant’s actual situation, he developed a personnel recruitment and management system that conforms to local practices.

After several months of intensive preparations day and night, the Rio de Janeiro branch finally ushered in the grand opening day. In the morning of that day, the sun shone on the sea, and the waves sparkled, as if laying a golden carpet for the restaurant’s opening. The restaurant entrance was decorated with colorful ribbons and balloons full of Brazilian characteristics fluttering in the wind.

At the opening ceremony, Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li stood at the door and warmly welcomed every guest. Residents and tourists from Rio de Janeiro were attracted by the lively atmosphere and unique restaurant style and gathered around.

A local resident with curly hair walked into the restaurant curiously, looked around, and said excitedly: “Wow, the decoration style of this restaurant is very special, combining oriental and Brazilian elements, it feels very novel.”

A tourist nearby also agreed: “Yes, and I heard that their dishes are a fusion of various cultural characteristics, which is really exciting.”

As the first batch of customers walked into the restaurant, laughter and joy echoed throughout the store. The waiters enthusiastically and attentively guided the customers to their seats and handed them menus. While browsing the menu, the customers marveled at the unique creativity of the dishes.

“This dish, which combines Brazilian barbecue and Singaporean curry, sounds interesting. I must try it,” said a customer, pointing to the menu.

Soon, dishes with good appearance, aroma and taste were served on the table. After tasting them, customers praised them highly.

“The dishes in this restaurant are so creative, integrating the characteristics of multiple cultures, and they taste so good!” a local resident said excitedly, with a satisfied smile on his face. “Yes, and the environment is also very unique, making people feel as if they are in a cultural feast of food.” Another tourist echoed, picking up the camera and taking pictures of the dishes and the restaurant environment.

Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li stood in a corner of the restaurant, watching the lively scene with gratified smiles on their faces. Wang Jianye said with emotion: “The efforts of the past few months have finally paid off. Seeing the customers so satisfied, everything is worth it.”

Chen Yu responded with a smile: “Yes, Mr. Wang. But this is just a new starting point. There are more challenges and opportunities waiting for us in the future.”

Chef Li also nodded and said, “Yes, we have to continue working hard to maintain the quality and innovation of our dishes and improve our service level.”

After the Rio de Janeiro branch opened, they did not relax their vigilance at all, but paid closer attention to market dynamics and customer feedback. After the business closed every day, they would get together to analyze the opinions and suggestions of customers that day.

“Today, a customer gave feedback that the spiciness of a certain dish could be adjusted a little bit. It would be more in line with the general public’s taste if it were a little lighter,” said Chen Yu.

Chef Li responded immediately: “Okay, I will discuss and adjust it with the chef team tomorrow. We have to continuously optimize the dishes according to the tastes of our customers.”

They also regularly adjust and optimize the dishes, launching special dishes according to different seasons and local festivals. The Brazilian Carnival is coming, and the whole city is immersed in a joyful atmosphere. Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Chef Li decided to seize this opportunity to launch a series of fusion dishes related to the Carnival theme.

Chef Li led the chef team to work in the kitchen. While cutting the ingredients, he said to the chefs: “Carnival is the biggest festival in Brazil. We need to incorporate the joyful atmosphere of Carnival into the food. For example, for this new dish, we can use Brazilian carnival colored candies to decorate it, making the dish look more festive.”

After repeated attempts and adjustments, a series of creative carnival-themed fusion dishes were born. Some of them made Korean seaweed rice rolls into the shape of colorful carnival masks and paired with Brazilian tropical fruit sauces; some combined Singaporean fried rice noodles with grilled chicken commonly seen in Brazilian carnival, and then sprinkled with colorful sugar grains.

During the carnival, the restaurant was packed with customers, who were attracted by the unique dishes and took photos to share on social media.

“Wow, this restaurant’s Carnival dishes are so creative. Not only are they delicious, but they’re also very appropriate for the occasion!” a customer excitedly wrote on social media, attaching photos of the dishes.

This share instantly received a large number of likes and reposts, attracting more customers to come and taste it.

At the same time, they also focus on employee training and development. Every month, they organize employees to participate in various training courses to improve their professional skills and service level. In a service skills training class, Chen Yu stood on the podium and said to the employees: “Everyone should remember that high-quality service is not only to meet the needs of customers, but also to exceed their expectations. When customers walk into the restaurant, we should use warm smiles and caring service to make them feel the warmth of home.”

The trainer also used simulated scenarios to let employees practice how to respond to various customer needs. One employee performed well in the simulation, and Chen Yu praised her, saying, “Maria, your way of handling customer complaints is very good. You not only calmed the customer’s emotions, but also solved the problem. Everyone should learn from her.”

As time went on, the business of the Rio de Janeiro branch became better and better, and it became a popular restaurant in the area. However, they were not satisfied with this. They began to plan to open more branches in other cities in Brazil to further expand the brand influence.

At a meeting, Wang Jianye looked at various cities in Brazil on a map and said, “Salvador and Belo Horizonte also have great potential. We can go and investigate and see if we can open branches there.”

Chen Yu nodded in agreement: “Okay, Mr. Wang. I will first collect market information for these two cities, including the local catering market conditions, consumer habits, and information about competitors.”

Chef Li also said: “I will study the local special ingredients and cooking methods in advance to prepare for the development of dishes for the new branch.”

However, just as they were actively preparing for the expansion plan, some imitators appeared in the market. Some local restaurants saw the success of Wang’s full-line restaurant and launched similar fusion dishes. Faced with competition, Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li did not panic.

Wang Jianye said calmly: “This is an inevitable phenomenon of market competition. We cannot let them disrupt our rhythm. We must continue to insist on innovation and highlight our characteristics.”

Chen Yu continued, “That’s right, Mr. Wang. We can increase our efforts in brand building and increase our brand awareness and reputation by holding more food culture events.”

Chef Li also said firmly: “I will speed up the development of dishes and launch more unique fusion dishes so that customers will always look forward to us.”

Therefore, they increased their investment in the development of dishes. Chef Li led the chef team to conduct in-depth research on the food culture of different regions in Brazil, combined with the characteristics of Korean and new cuisines, and developed more novel dishes. For example, they combined the seafood stew from Salvador with the Korean soybean paste soup to create a new rich-flavored stew.

On the other hand, Chen Yu planned a series of colorful food culture activities. He cooperated with local cultural institutions to hold lectures on food and culture, invited experts to explain the food culture of South Korea, Singapore and Brazil, and displayed the special dishes of all Wang’s hotels at the event. In addition, they also held food cooking competitions in the restaurant and invited customers to participate, so that customers can experience the charm of fusion food firsthand. (End of this chapter)