National Tide 1980

The very simple addition and the imminent answer made Zou Guodong excited again. He could not remain calm at all.

"Oh my god! According to your calculation, Salia's gross profit must be at least 60%!"

"Scary?"

"But...how is this possible? The gross profit of this restaurant is almost more than that of our Maxim's restaurant! Just relying on such cheap food?"

"How is it impossible! All the costs are saved reasonably and legally. We don't need high-quality imported ingredients like Maxim's, nor do we need chefs with superb cooking skills or waiters who understand foreign languages. Everything strives to be simple, Even the quality of the employees is like this. The employees hired by Salia can be put on the job after simple training. I didn’t realize that even ordering is done by customers. Now this kind of order is circled, and then the waiter comes to confirm it. So the employees here, as long as they can It is enough to do simple tasks such as ordering food for the public, serving plates, and cleaning. This is called simplicity."

"Still simple? You really have words. I just feel terrible. Everything in front of me tells me that Salia's Japanese boss is so powerful that he can make such a good plan. His restaurant The cost of the food produced is actually lower than that of ordinary people living at home and cooking at home. Does this make other colleagues miserable? Fortunately, the Japanese have high eyesight and do not look down on our country's market, so they do not go to the capital to stir up trouble. Ah. Otherwise, the catering industry in the capital would not be completely in chaos. At least the Western catering industry would definitely be in trouble, and it would be severely impacted. I simply can’t imagine such a chaotic situation..."

The more Zou Guodong thought about it, the more scared he became, and his heart felt so cold.

However, Ning Weimin knew that he was suddenly frightened and had no time to think about it carefully.

So he took the initiative to pick up the omissions and addendums, and offered kind words to comfort him.

"Overthinking, overthinking. Mr. Zou, it's actually not that serious. You see, Japan's Western food industry has not messed up Salia. After all, people have multiple needs. In the high-end market of business banquets, Salia is sure The profit will not be shared. Real foreigners will also sneer at this kind of unauthentic Western food. If we want to entertain customers, we can't bring them to eat this kind of Western food, right? Also, Salia can do this It saves costs and also takes advantage of the location. If this restaurant goes to our capital, it won't be so convenient. There are many things that only land-based households like us can accomplish."

"Besides, just because it's useless, we still have to find a way to control it. Didn't I bring you here? What did our ancestors say? Learn from the barbarians and use them to defeat the barbarians! In fact, this trick is nothing. It’s just a layer of paper. As long as we learn the skills and do it domestically first, we will have the initiative and first-mover advantage, which will only leave other companies with nowhere to go. In the future, who will want to rely on low prices in China? There is no chance of competing with us. Even if Salia is interested in our domestic market in the future and really wants to take root in our capital, it will not be easy. Who knows that we have already let the common people take the lead. "

These words worked. Zou Guodong heard what was going on. He sighed and nodded.

Ning Weimin toasted again at the right time, but what he said afterwards was a bit heart-wrenching.

"Mr. Zou, don't blame me for exposing scars. Compared with Salia's simplicity and down-to-earth attitude, our Menimus seems flashy. French simple meal? Where did you say Jane is? That's not to say Eliminating the high-end dishes from French cuisine and only selling some of the cheap dishes from Maxim's restaurant on the menu would be considered a simple meal. It is not a simple meal with a few more sandwiches. It can't be that simple. And the fact is, Menimus The prices of the dishes still make ordinary people want to run away when they see it, and people who don’t know how to eat Western food will still feel intimidated and troubled in Menimus.”

"By the way, I don't know if you have noticed it. Anyway, every time I go to Menimus, I find that the restaurant is as quiet as if there is no one. This is not because our customers are of high quality, but because the customers feel restrained. All guests are careful when dining in Menimus and are embarrassed to speak loudly. Think about it, a restaurant that makes people uncomfortable and a restaurant that makes guests unable to feel relaxed, how can business be prosperous? So, This has led to a clear gap in the operating conditions of the two restaurants under our company that both sell French food. Maxim Restaurant may not be expensive, but high-end people have already recognized it. It is full every day and the business is very good. However, Menimus is a high-end product that is neither high nor low-end. High-end people look down on it, and ordinary people cannot afford it. They will be scared away after just one visit. If things go on like this, it will be a situation of one win and one loss. The days when Menimus loses money Coming soon…”

There is no doubt that by saying this, we have touched upon the core essence of today’s meal.

That is whether to follow Salia's model and change Menimus' business model.

Zou Guodong pondered for a while, because there was enough preparation in front of him and Salia, who had witnessed it with his own eyes, was in front of him, so he didn't feel that Ning Weimin was trying to squeeze him.

But this decision was not easy to make. He had to carefully consider and weigh many issues.

"Weimin, I understand what you mean. I admit that what you said makes sense. And today I also witnessed Salia's business conditions with my own eyes. It is a miracle in the shopping mall and I have benefited a lot. But the problem is, Maxim's Restaurant and Menimus Restaurant are twin stars. The brothers' joint approach of the two restaurants has been successful in many countries. This is enough to prove that this model is successful. What's more, Maxim's Restaurant was also It’s just a matter of preserving capital. We waited for almost half a year before we succeeded. Then is it possible that you are a little too pessimistic. Maybe if you wait for a while, Menimus’ situation will improve..."

"Mr. Zou, I'm afraid it's not that I am pessimistic, but that you are too optimistic."

Regarding Zou Guodong's unrealistic expectations, Ning Weimin sighed and shook his head, and then argued back with reason.

"The 'many countries that have achieved success' you mentioned are all Western countries, right? You have to understand one thing. The gap between Europe and the United States and us is not only economic, but also cultural. Menimus specializes in coffee. Culture, this kind of culture even we have not fully understood and cannot fully adapt to. Can you expect us people in the capital to accept it quickly? Can the public develop this kind of dining habit without any hindrance? Impossible."

"With all due respect, although China and France are the two countries that know best about food in the world, in my opinion, they have made a fatal mistake in promoting food. That is, starting from high-end food, China and France What a complicated food culture we have. I am from Beijing, and I only barely understand the eight major cuisines of Sichuan, Shandong and Guangdong. How much can foreigners understand? We always want to show others the best things, so you can appreciate these Things also have cultural thresholds. You said, if others are not good enough and don't know how to appreciate it, but are at a loss what to do, how can they enjoy it?"

"The opposite examples are obvious. American fast food like Kentucky, McDonald's, and Salia are very good, intuitive, simple, and have obvious cultural symbols. Although they are exotic foods, their flavors are rich and straightforward. Let the public like it. Although the variety is monotonous, it can be understood by people who have never come into contact with it at a glance, so these things will spread quickly like a virus. They can open up situations wherever they go. It can be said that Americans are It's unintentional, and it's the light of uneducated people. If we want to achieve this effect, we have to simplify complex things. Just like teaching children, let customers first be interested in simple, understandable products. , and then launch something more complex and pure. You have to do it step by step."

"Yes! You are right, everything you said is right. To be honest, I think so too."

Zou Guodong did listen to what Ning Weimin said. It could even be said that he was almost convinced.

If it were not for the fact that some objective problems that are difficult to solve still exist.

"But I'm worried that Mr. Song will have an easy time here, but our big boss will have a hard time with that. Think about Mr. Caton's temper. Even though the old man is usually easy to talk to, he also has a tyrant side at work, especially when it comes to things he is sure of. It has never changed. Maxim and Menimus are both masters who pursue style in order to promote the taste of French food. You know, when the restaurant was first opened, the big boss made it very clear. Don't be afraid of losing money, rather lose money No price reduction either. How could you change the dishes to popular Western food like Saria? I simply can’t imagine that crepes, bouillabaisse and duck confit would have gone through this kind of simplification similar to Salia. What will the transformation look like? Will Mr. Catton think that we are ruining the French food culture? The old man will definitely be furious..."

It cannot be said that Zou Guodong's concerns are wrong, and Ning Weimin actually understands them very well.

What's more, if you think about it from his perspective, he had a deep hatred for the Panda Restaurant in the United States that sold fake Chinese food in his previous life.

I can't wait to spit on that bad guy who only cares about making money and is completely charming.

He could fully imagine how the master himself felt, and it was only human nature to express opposition and disgust to his ideas.

So he thought about it and came up with an alternative idea.

"Otherwise, let's not use Menimus to transform it. We can simply abandon Gemini completely and simply launch a brand new Western food brand independently produced by our Huaxia Company. For example, call it 'Big Iron Tower', or' As long as it can make customers associate with the French style of Pierre Cardin, it will be fine. In this case, the recipe does not need to be limited to French representative foods. Then it is based on In this world, you have complete freedom of choice. And if you do this, it won’t affect the style and brand image of Maxim and Menimus. Mr. Caton won’t mind, right?”

Zou Guodong's eyes lit up when he heard this, and then he slapped his hand again.

"That's fine. As long as you don't touch Menimus, I don't think Mr. Carton will object. Don't worry, these two names you gave casually are quite interesting as the brands of chain stores. Really If this is the case, Maxim will be high-end and Menimus will be positioned in the mid-range, and our own brand will occupy the low-end market. That means it will completely cover all the customer groups in Beijing. And the key is low-end. The end market has the largest consumption power, I think. As long as we can lower the price of Western food to an average consumption of eight yuan per person, it will be enough to make Yili Fast Food dumbfounded, make Lao Mo and Xin Qiao tremble, and attract Young people from all over the capital come here to try something new. But...but the question is, is it good or not? Where does the money come from?"

As he talked, Zou Guodong, who had just become happy, became very cheerful and frowned again.

"This is not a small number. According to Salia's method of playing, what is expected is small profits but quick turnover. While reducing costs, we must also pursue timeliness. Of course, the more stores, the better. In China, the rent itself is low , the competitive environment for Western food is not difficult. Then it is better to open a store in a downtown area. So there must be a store in Qianmen, Xidan, Dongdan, Gulou, Wangfujing and other downtown areas, right? Chongwenmen must also have one, otherwise the district government will lose face. It doesn’t look good. Do we have to fight for airports and train stations? Look, how many are there?”

"In addition, the central kitchen needs to be a very large place, and transportation requires cars with refrigerated compartments. Semi-finished catering tableware and cups must be customized. A large amount of heating and refrigeration equipment is also required. The key is to ensure the food raw materials. For supply, it’s useless to just rely on the greenhouses in the Temple of Heaven. The contract signed with the Beijing supply outlet will not be a small order. Let’s make a conservative estimate. Based on six stores, a central kitchen with a capacity of 100 people, two refrigerated trucks, and two An ordinary transport truck, this is the minimum basic number, I think this thing can't be done for less than 5 million. This is equivalent to creating a large catering company out of thin air. "

"This does not include the cost of hiring and training employees, as well as future maintenance costs. You also know our company's revenue situation. It is developing well now and we have money, but currently it is all converted into Japanese yen. I and I What Lao Xiong thinks about all day long is how to pay off foreign debts, how to pay others late, and how to pay interest to the bank on time. Now the company relies entirely on the cash income from sales in our store every month. It can barely keep the balance. There is also the matter of mass production of your trolley suitcase, which also requires funds. Mr. Song also asked Lao Xiong to promise to invest at least one million in production. So within a year, there is really no extra financial resources to do other things. It's a matter of course. Under the current circumstances, if you still ask us to allocate five million to do this, it will conflict with our plan to build a building. If we have to do it forcefully, will it be cost-effective in the end? , I’m really not sure…”

Zou Guodong's difficulties are obvious, and we really can't blame him. The financial problem is still quite real.

He can see this and think of practical difficulties in advance, which is a good thing and shows that he is not a fool.

Business is often like this sometimes. Although it is a good opportunity, if it is unlucky, it can also make people confused.

So at this time, you have to face a choice. As the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

But what Zou Guodong didn't expect was that Ning Weimin was more thoughtful than him and had already thought of a solution to the financial difficulties.

As soon as he finished complaining, he was immediately given a surprise.

"Oh, what are you talking about? It's just money. This is easy to handle. I've already thought of it for you."

"What? You are bragging here that you can conjure up five million if you ask for it?"

"What am I bragging about? Let me remind you, what is the purpose of your trip to Japan?"

"I...didn't I cooperate with you in signing the contract with Japan?"

"Come on! After signing the contract, the Japanese will have to give us money. I have made an agreement with Ishikawa, who is in charge of finance of the Japanese company, and he promised to at least remit 500 million yen to us first. As long as the contract is signed smoothly, the final payment will be made. It will be in place before New Year's Day. The next payment is still 500 million yuan. As long as the industrial land for setting up factories is approved, Japan will remit it. Isn't 5 million yuan a small thing..."

Zou Guodong, who originally didn't believe Ning Weimin's big words, frowned even more at this time.

"No, no, since the money is used to build a factory, how can it be used for other purposes? This idea of ​​yours is unacceptable, as it may lead to financial crimes!"

However, Ning Weimin smiled and then finally explained the matter.

"Oh, I know the law too. I didn't let you misappropriate it. Besides, I'm not stupid. That's Japanese yen. If we keep it in the country for one more year, we can exchange it for double the renminbi. Why are you giving up?" You can make more money from the exchange rate than from opening a restaurant. Even the benefits I promised to Ishikawa and Takada have to be paid from the exchange rate. I mean, with this money, you have actually used the five hundred Wan has been earned. A year later, even if we lose money on this restaurant, we will have already made back the money we lost through the exchange rate. Isn’t this what makes us invincible?”

"As for opening a restaurant, under such a premise, there is no need to delay. Anyway, this matter will definitely not cause any holes. What are you afraid of? If you are like this, you can find Zhang Shihui from Tan Palace and the director of Tiantan. There is also the service bureau Qiao Wanlin to help with the funds. They will definitely be happy to borrow it for one year with an annual interest rate of 30%. Their business is all formal now, and the business is booming. Especially the Temple of Heaven, which has been distributed for a long time. "

"Although I took them to stock up on Japanese yen before I left, it will be half a year after the Spring Festival. Their piggy banks will definitely be full. I will tell them later to make sure there is no problem. There is also the Polar Bear Factory, we can establish a joint venture with them. All cold drinks are sold by them, and your payment will be much easier..."

Hearing that Ning Weimin had arranged it this way, Zou Guodong suddenly became enlightened.

When he thought about it, it seemed to work.

It's really clear and logical, everything is taken care of, and there really isn't any obstacle.

So he didn't hesitate, raised the cup, and greeted Ning Weimin in return.

"Okay, that's it! After drinking this glass of wine, I will follow you on this pirate ship!"

Ning Weimin was also happy and responded in kind.

"Okay, have fun! Mr. Zou, it's because of your trust. I'll give you another show after this meal. Let's go to Kabukicho Street in a while..."

But this sentence was obviously well-intentioned, but it frightened Zou Guodong so much that he choked on his wine.

He coughed for a while before regaining the ability to speak, but his face was still pale and he kept waving his hands.

"No, no, no! If I don't go, I won't go! I have a wife and children, so don't cheat on me!"

"What's this?"

Ning Weimin was surprised that Zou Guodong was so nervous and fearful.

"Have you misunderstood? I don't want to take you there for anything. It's just to see the feasting side of capitalism! It's a rather special tourist area there, and there are song and dance performances. Let's watch the performances!"

"I won't go there either! Don't think that I don't know where that place is! I also prepared lessons before going abroad."

Zou Guodong sighed sincerely.

"I'm not like you. I've stopped singing for a long time. Young man. How good you are. No one is in charge, no one is watching, no one is checking. Before I went abroad, my wife gave me a lot of ideological education. I've drawn a circle. I can make any mistakes, but I can't do that. I have to call her to report the situation later. Okay, let's go back later. I still have to finish today. I’m going to record my experiences so that I don’t forget…”

In this case, Ning Weimin naturally couldn't force himself, and could only laugh secretly in his heart.

lead! You can’t blame me for not making arrangements for you!