The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, business at the restaurant is getting busier and busier.

Everyone, whether in the front hall or the kitchen, is bustling around.

However, during this period just after opening, it’s a rare moment of leisure.

Last night, Dong Jun Tian had a small gathering with Wang Jingrui.

During their chat, they mentioned the activities planned for the Mid-Autumn Festival at the restaurant.

Wang Jingrui has always had a good business sense; this year, after some market research and surveys, he decided to change the usual event strategy.

Taking advantage of the two hours of leisure right after opening each day, and besides leaving some staff and cleaners at the restaurant, other kitchen and service staff are assigned by dining area to hand out small Mid-Autumn Festival gifts at the restaurant entrance to passersby.

This not only conveys the festive spirit to everyone but also promotes the restaurant’s specialties.

Wang Jingrui runs a self-service barbecue restaurant, which doesn’t compete with Dong Jun Tian’s long-established restaurant.

So when discussing his business methods, he didn’t hold back.

Dong Jun Tian, managing such a large restaurant himself, naturally has his wits about him too.

Especially when Wang Jingrui mentioned that just two days into the event, they’ve already received many advance discount reservations, he was moved.

If Wang Jingrui’s buffet restaurant can offer discount reservations, Qianlima can do the same.

Inspired, Dong Jun Tian announced this initiative at the restaurant early the next morning.

The gifts were ready-made, and setting up a few tables at the restaurant entrance was all it took for the promotion.

As for the event banners, they were custom-made last year and well preserved, ready to be put up, and with a few balloons, the atmosphere was set.

But there’s just one thing.

To boost everyone’s enthusiasm for the event, Wang Jingrui arranged for commission rewards.

Everyone was grouped by area, promoting their own, and whichever group could get customers to make discount reservations would earn corresponding cash rewards.

At Qianlima, if they were to group things, it would still have to be the kitchen as the main focus.

Zhao Meng and Gu Yunwu each led a group.

It didn’t matter if the customers were regulars or new sources; as long as they placed an order and paid, there’d be a bonus.

To make the event more eye-catching, Dong Jun Tian specifically asked Gao Wenjing to select a few service staff with good looks, temperament, and eloquence to help with the activities.

So, that morning, the front hall and kitchen staff split into two teams.

Being head chefs at the restaurant, Zhao Meng and Gu Yunwu certainly couldn’t be expected to sit on the street doing promotions.

So Yao Yihang led the team on Gu Yunwu’s side.

And on Zhao Meng’s side, because Fu Yu was on leave, Sun Qingning had to lead.

This group set up two tables at the entrance of Qianlima Restaurant, merrily hanging banners and blowing balloons.

The lively scene attracted passersby, who were also drawn by the smiling staff handing out small gifts, making them naturally inclined to listen to the Mid-Autumn Festival discount dining promotions at Qianlima.

Initially, everyone felt a bit shy.

Previously, it was always the restaurant attendants who did the promotions.

Over time, they gradually got used to it.

With Yao Yihang were Zhang Jiaxin, another order attendant, and a service attendant.

The order attendant and service attendant went to the front to hand out small gifts.

Yao Yihang and Zhang Jiaxin stayed by the table to look after things and handle registrations.

Soon after, the order attendant returned to get more small gifts and whispered, ”Chef Zhao’s side seems to already have a customer registered!”

Hearing this, Yao Yihang was about to frown but suddenly thought of something and relaxed, whispering, ”It’s okay, no worries! Even if these walk-in customers register temporarily, they might not come in the end. It depends on who actually comes to the restaurant to pay the deposit! Plus, Chef Gu had me contact customers beforehand, and just set up appointments last night. They’ll be ordering today or tomorrow. At the very least, we have regular customers to rely on, so don’t worry!”

The order attendant sighed in relief and couldn’t help but praise, ”Chef Gu really is foresighted!”

Yao Yihang smiled, ”There’s no need for us to be too tense, but we still need to strive for this bonus; we must earn it!”

Yao Yihang glanced over at Zhao Meng’s spirited efforts to pull in customers and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Sometimes, when one’s luck is down, even cold water can cause a toothache.

At this crucial moment, Fu Yu happened to take leave.

If Fu Yu were there to attract people, maybe just his face could catch some attention.

But now!

Heh heh!

Thinking of this, Yao Yihang couldn’t help but laugh.

These days, the mood here had been quite down due to customer losses.

Although Gu Yunwu didn’t hold it against him and seemed fine in front of others, when it was just the two of them, he never even showed half a smile.

After days of seeing that face, Yao Yihang finally had a chance to vent and felt completely refreshed.

They had come out early, starting to distribute small gifts by 8:30. Though there were many passersby, not many stopped to inquire or understand.

After nine o’clock, people both wealthy and idle began to slowly appear.

Some individuals who had tasted food from Qianlima would come to see the event and take a small gift when they saw them being given out.

Qiao Shengfeng’s son planned to bring his girlfriend home for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year and had called yesterday to say that the plane tickets were booked.

Upon hearing the news, Qiao Shengfeng and his wife talked it over and decided that since their cooking skills weren’t great, they might as well book a restaurant for a nice meal and lively atmosphere for their future daughter-in-law’s first visit.

Thinking of Qianlima as a well-known local restaurant, they also have quite the reputation and made a special trip with his wife to make reservations.

When they drove over, they immediately spotted the banner for the promotion at the Qianlima Restaurant entrance.

Their eyes lit up, and as they approached, enthusiastic staff greeted them with small gifts.

The couple naturally went over to inquire about the promotion.

Having already entertained a few waves of customers, Yao Yihang was familiar with both the event introduction and the restaurant’s signature dishes and gave detailed explanations.

After listening, the couple had some ideas. They even selected the menu with Yao Yihang and registered it.

The order attendant eagerly wanted to lead them inside to pay the reservation deposit, and they were on the verge of entering the restaurant when Qiao Shengfeng’s phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from his son.

Huddled together to take the call, the order attendant felt it would be inappropriate to stay beside them and continued engaging other customers while glancing at them now and then.

After ending the call and preparing to enter the restaurant to pay the deposit, they suddenly noticed an acquaintance at the nearby table talking to a young man in chef’s attire, seemingly ready to make a reservation too.

Curious, the couple walked over.