Rebirth: Starting from the Cafeteria

"Mr. Du, this is a great idea, but I have a few questions. Let's not talk about anything else, just talk about the franchise model. How do we control the quality? We can't send chefs to help them, right?"

Yu Jianxin was the first to raise doubts and was not very confident about the franchise chain model.

Today, this business model has become relatively mature, and has received mixed reviews from the outside world.

"Why not? I have already negotiated with [Beichen Education]. They will be responsible for providing students, and our training center will be responsible for on-the-job training. Then, the franchisee can select the right chef from them."

Du Shaojie had thought about this problem a long time ago and took corresponding countermeasures.

Beichen Education has branches all over the country, and there are many chefs who are competent in cooking Sichuan dishes. After on-the-job training at the training center, the quality of the dishes can be basically guaranteed.

He believes that franchising a chain is not just about charging franchise fees, but should also provide more comprehensive services.

Of course, some services are free, while others require additional charges.

"Boss Du, I have another question. What if the person who wants to join is a chef himself and doesn't want to hire someone from outside?"

Yu Jianxin nodded and then asked the second question.

"That's easy. Just let the franchisee come to the training center for training. But there will be an assessment after the training. No matter who it is, only those who meet the assessment standards can become a chef for the chain store."

After Du Shaojie finished speaking, Yu Jianxin finally put his worries aside.

Afterwards, Du Shaojie answered some questions from other people, and then the matter was settled.

Yu Jianxin and Wu Chenggang were responsible for formulating the plan and organizing its implementation. Beichen Education also cooperated very well. After all, this was something that benefited both parties.

The carrier of the project is not [Xichuan Restaurant], but a new company funded by [Huaxin Investment]. The brand plan was also finalized soon after, and it was called [Chuan Xiaochu].

Du Shaojie sent Wu Chenggang and Luo Qin to connect with Beichen Education and selected a number of students to receive training at the training center in advance.

After the establishment of the company, the managers of various positions were in place quickly, and the publicity work was immediately launched. This project is different from opening a store by yourself. In the early stage, it is necessary to increase advertising, otherwise it will be difficult to attract the attention of franchisees.

At the same time, [Chuan Xiaochu] decided to open 50 demonstration stores across the country.

It is useless to just talk about this kind of thing, and the franchisees must feel the profit effect firsthand. [Chuan Xiaochu] does not have many dishes, and each one is personally selected by Du Shaojie, which is in line with the characteristics of stir-fry.

The key positions of the new company are filled by professionals transferred from Bailian Catering. With them in charge, all work is progressing smoothly.

As for newcomers, they can become familiar with the work in each link after training for a period of time.

Wu Chenggang was appointed as the general manager of Sichuan Kitchen and Yan Dabao was appointed as the deputy general manager.

three months later.

50 [Chuan Xiaochu] stores opened across the country one after another, and soon caused a sensation in the local area.

The ultimate value for money and the quality of the dishes are excellent, making it a model of low-end Sichuan restaurants. For people with low incomes, it is a great place to order a few dishes and have a few drinks with three or five friends after get off work.

Because of the demonstration effect, more and more people called or visited in person.

The conditions for joining [Chuan Xiaochu] are very detailed, including capital requirements and deposit requirements. All ingredients and condiments are delivered uniformly, and stores are not allowed to purchase their own goods.

In addition, the contract contains severe penalties for breach of contract. All stores must unconditionally accept inspections. If any violation occurs, the contract may be terminated and liquidated damages must be paid.

So, at the beginning, there were many people who were interested, but not many people actually signed contracts.

"Mr. Wu, can we lower the threshold for joining? Many customers are complaining that our conditions are too harsh and they don't even dare to try."

The department manager complained to Wu Chenggang that out of the ten people who were interested, it would be good if at most one could sign the contract.

The reason is that the conditions for joining are relatively strict.

"The standards must not be lowered. This is also President Du's requirement."

Wu Chenggang remained unmoved. He knew very well that as long as a gap was opened now, the constraints would become weaker and weaker in the future.

He always believes that as long as there is a money-making effect, more and more people will join in. Everything is difficult at the beginning, and now we must stick to the principles so that the future work will be easier.

After Du Shaojie learned the news, he went to Sichuan Kitchen Company to support Wu Chenggang and Yan Dabao.

He felt that the other party was doing a very good job, and that only by strictly implementing the franchise standards rather than pursuing immediate interests could a company become bigger and stronger.

"Xiao Wu, Dabao, we old guys have to go out and perform again."

Du Shaojie finished talking about business with Wu Chenggang and Yan Dabao, and then made a joke with a smile.

According to the plan, he and some Sichuan cuisine masters will go to various stores of [Sichuan Kitchen] to perform live performances. This is part of the promotion and also allows everyone to see the strength behind [Sichuan Kitchen].

Yan Dabao will go along, he is also a [Master of Sichuan Cuisine] and is in charge of the company's technical affairs.

"Boss Du, are you kidding me? How can you be considered an old guy?"

Wu Chenggang and others burst into laughter. In their eyes, Du Shaojie never looked old. He was basically no different from when he was thirty years old.

They are very supportive of this event. The presence of many Sichuan cuisine masters can increase the confidence of customers who want to join.

At the same time, this matter itself is a topic suitable for hype. Just imagine, with so many [Sichuan cuisine masters] supporting it behind the scenes, would it be easy for ordinary consumers to accept [Sichuan Kitchen]?
Du Shaojie stayed in the company for a whole morning and returned to his home in Laojie around noon.

[Chuan Xiaochu] The company’s registered address is in Yangcheng, not far from the old street, only a 20-minute drive away.

"Xiao He, pack up. We'll set off early tomorrow morning. Our first stop is the Magic City."

Du Shaojie informed Zou Xiaohe to get ready, and the next morning, the group flew to the Magic City.

evening.

All five masters of this event were present, including Du Shaojie and Yan Dabao.

The store's event promotion started in advance. The [Chuan Xiaochu] Shanghai store was crowded today. Although a reservation system was adopted, there were still many customers without reservations who came to try their luck.

In the open kitchen, Du Shaojie and others are busy, and every hour a master will come out to meet everyone.

In order to allow more people to taste the master's craftsmanship, the restaurant had to limit the dining time. The dining time for each table of guests does not exceed 45 minutes. Because it is a special situation, most customers can still understand.

We were not afraid of occasional disturbances, as we had reported this event in advance. Several police officers were on duty outside the store and helped maintain order. Du Shaojie and others worked until 11 p.m. before they finished their work for the day.

"Boss Du, everyone is so enthusiastic. My old bones can't handle it."

Yan Dabao was tired and happy. After taking a shower, he ran over to chat with Du Shaojie.

The activity in Shanghai lasted for three days. Du Shaojie and others stayed in a hotel near the store, so he did not go to his own villa.

"All we can do is to promote and attract traffic. As for the effect, we have to wait for some time to see it. But judging by the reaction on site, the effect should be good."

Du Shaojie smiled, took out a can of beer from the refrigerator and threw it to Yan Dabao.

He also opened a can of beer, and the two of them drank and chatted. It was quite late before Yan Dabao went back to his room to sleep.

The same situation continued over the next two days, with some people even willing to queue for hours just to taste the dishes prepared by the master.

In just three days, the reputation of [Chuan Xiaochu] became more and more famous. After learning about this, some hesitant customers immediately signed franchise contracts with [Chuan Xiaochu].

The money-making effect is visible to the naked eye, and many people have become interested.

As the activity progressed, Du Shaojie and others basically traveled to all major cities.

Then, Sichuan Kitchen stores popped up one after another like mushrooms after a rain. In just one month, the number of franchisees across the country increased by 129.

Of course, the franchise chain of [Chuan Xiaochu] also has a total quantity control, and the distance between stores is required to be more than 3 kilometers to avoid excessive competition among its own customers.

A brand that does not consider the interests of franchisees will not last long. Only by allowing them to make money can the company operate normally.

When Du Shaojie returned to Yangcheng, Wu Chenggang brought the report. According to the report, the total number of Sichuan Kitchen stores had exceeded 300, and the development speed was extremely rapid.

This is the advantage of the chain franchise model, the brand has less risk and can capture the market quickly.

From now on, we need to control it and slow down the pace of expansion.

The sudden rise of Chuan Xiao Chu did not give Chuan Shang Ren Jia time to react. This model is a fission-type development. By the time the other party reacted, Chuan Xiao Chu's stores had already blossomed everywhere.

Now it is the turn of [Kawakami Renjia] to be in trouble. [Chuan Xiaochu] is positioned at the low end, and [Xichuan Restaurant] is positioned at the high end. What is [Kawakami Renjia] located between the two?
In terms of food quality, it cannot compare with [Xichuan Restaurant], and in terms of cost-effectiveness, it cannot compare with [Chuan Xiaochu].

Therefore, the rise of [Chuan Xiaochu] had a great impact on [Kawakami Family], so much so that the turnover of [Kawakami Family] plummeted.

At the same time, it also affected the supply chain of [Kawakami Family]. Extended companies such as pork production companies and cold storage were affected to varying degrees.

On the contrary, the supply chain of Xichuan Restaurant is becoming more and more stable. It not only supplies its own stores, but also supplies all the stores of Sichuan Kitchen.

The surge in purchasing volume led to a drop in prices, and a large number of external customers flocked in, squeezing the profit margin of Kawakami Renjia.

By now, Wu Chenggang has finally understood that his boss had long been planning the extension of the industrial chain, and was even indifferent to accusations of "plagiarism", perhaps all for today.

With efforts being made on multiple fronts simultaneously, Kawakami Family had almost no ability to fight back.

By the time the quarterly report was released, Kawakami Renjia's performance had declined significantly and there were already signs of losses.

This evening.

Du Shaojie called Qin Mingcheng, Fan Shilun and others. The other party had already been lurking in the stocks of "Chuankami Family" early on. The number of shares held by each party was not large, but it would have an unexpected effect at the critical moment.

The next day.

As soon as the morning session started, a large number of sell orders came out, and the stock price of [Kawakami Renjia] began to turn downward and continued to plummet.

If [Kawakami Renjia] still had the same performance support as the other company, the short-term suppression would not have a big impact. However, the other company's quarterly report first showed a sharp decline in performance, and panic soon appeared on the market.

Small and medium-sized retail investors followed suit and institutions began to reduce their holdings.

At the beginning of the decline, the market makers were still thinking about supporting the market, but the funds they invested were quickly swallowed up and basically had no effect.

Some time ago, the dealer spit out a lot of chips in order to activate the market, but now it has become the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

The share price of [Kawakami Renjia] has plummeted, and [Hongsheng Investment] does not have much capital on hand now, most of which has been invested in other stocks.

Although there were several attempts to support the market, they were ultimately in vain.

Investors voted with their feet, but the market makers failed to get out and were deeply trapped.

"Boss Du, we have won a great victory this time!"

Fan Shilun was very excited and went to Yangcheng to report to Du Shaojie.

Du Shaojie praised him a few words, and then asked the other party to continue to keep an eye on the stock movements of [Kawakami Family].

On the other hand, the battle outside the securities market is still going on. The branches of [Chuan Shang Ren Jia] are simply no match for [Chuan Xiao Chu], with neither price nor quality.

Although Sichuan Kitchen does not have many dishes, they change their menu at least once a month.

The training work has never stopped. The quality and taste of the dishes in each store can remain consistent because of the strong logistical services behind them.

In order to get out of the predicament, [Kawakami Family] plans to sell off the companies that extend the industrial chain, with the pork production companies being the first to be affected.

At this stage, Du Shaojie knew that his opponent was almost finished. In order to raise funds, he desperately told stories and extended the industrial chain. Now that the company was in trouble, it began to rely on selling assets to survive.

There is nothing wrong with this approach in general, but don't forget that there is a rival who is eyeing you covetously.

Du Shaojie once again allowed the franchise of [Chuan Xiaochu], and this time required the store to be near [Chuan Shang Ren Jia]. He could avoid it a little before, just for this close fight.

For this opportunity, he led countless people to prepare for a long time, and it was impossible for him to give his opponent time to recover.

As the situation changed, Du Shaojie's side became the attacking side, and the attack was continuous.

He thought that within a year at most, the stores of Kawakami Renjia would be unsustainable. However, his battle with Hongsheng Investment was far from over.

Although defeating [Kawakami Family] would cause great damage to [Hongsheng Investment], the other party would still retain most of its strength.

This time, the hot money entering the mainland, apart from this setback, the rest of the funds may still be able to make huge profits. He really has no way to deal with this, so he can only wait and see. (End of this chapter)