Chapter 221: Sales
As the first customer arrived, it wasn't long before others followed in groups of three or five.
No matter the era, there will always be no shortage of wealthy individuals. Even the state-owned restaurants in the communes never lack patrons, and the county town has even more affluent residents. It's no surprise that the Suifeng Restaurant, which opened with such fanfare, managed to attract some well-off diners.
In just over half an hour, the restaurant welcomed seven tables of guests. Some came alone, like the first customer, while others arrived in groups of five or six. Seven tables might not seem like much in such a large establishment, but it was a promising start.
The two waiters were busy serving tea, taking orders, and setting up cutlery and dishes. With Deng Shirong's many children and daughters-in-law present, there was plenty of manpower, so there was no concern about being overwhelmed.
Deng Shirong himself didn't participate much, instead sitting and chatting with Zhang Guangzong over drinks.
People are peculiar. If they're just eating, even the slowest eater can finish within an hour. But when drinking, they can linger from morning till night without issue.
When the clock struck twelve, another guest walked in.
This was a middle-aged man in his forties. The moment Deng Shirong saw him, he greeted him warmly, "Leader, you're here! Please, come in and have a seat. Ah Ping, bring some good tea."
This middle-aged man was none other than the second-in-command of Bobai County.
The No. 2 leader was a staunch reformer. When Deng Shirong had approached him earlier, he had shared some of his future business plans. Combined with the significant investment Deng Shirong was making, the leader had approved the land for him.
The No. 2 leader smiled and said, "Boss Deng, no need to be so formal. I just noticed your restaurant's grand opening today and thought I'd stop by to take a look."
Deng Shirong guided the leader to his seat, smiling, "Since the restaurant is opening, we wanted to make sure people knew about it, so I arranged for some promotion. I hope it didn't disturb you, leader."
The No. 2 leader sat down and praised, "I think your promotional method is excellent. After today, I'm sure everyone in the county will remember your restaurant. That's already better than many other establishments."
At that moment, Zhang Xiuping brought over some tea, smiling as she said, "Leader, please enjoy the tea."
The No. 2 leader thanked her and then quietly observed the restaurant.
Deng Shirong asked, "Leader, what dishes would you like? I'll have the chef prepare them."
The No. 2 leader waved his hand, "No need, I've already eaten at the canteen. I just came to take a look."
Deng Shirong made a few polite remarks, but seeing that the leader had indeed eaten, he didn't press further.
The No. 2 leader said, "Your restaurant is quite large, but the number of customers only fills a fraction of the tables. It's not easy to make money. You'd need several times more customers than this to turn a profit."
Deng Shirong nodded, "That's true. With the current flow, we're definitely operating at a loss. But the restaurant has just opened, and things will improve over time."
The No. 2 leader pondered for a moment and said, "I'll make a call later. If there's any official reception, I'll arrange for it to be held at your restaurant."
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have made such an offer, but Deng Shirong held a special place in his heart. During their half-hour discussion a few months ago, he had recognized Deng Shirong's long-term vision and believed he could succeed in this turbulent era.
Of course, that alone wouldn't have been enough. But after some investigation, he discovered that Deng Shirong's second son was studying at Peking University. This revelation significantly increased his interest in Deng Shirong.
Though Deng Shirong didn't know the leader's thoughts, he wasn't foolish enough to refuse such an offer. He thanked him directly, "Thank you for your support."
The No. 2 leader didn't stay long. After drinking two cups of tea and chatting briefly with Deng Shirong, he left with his hands behind his back.
…
Although the county town wasn't as large as it would become in later years, it still took over an hour to walk around at a normal pace. The nine temporary employees Deng Shirong had hired walked around the town three times, which took nearly four hours in total.
It was hard work, especially for the eight girls carrying the billboards. Their arms were sore from the effort.
Of course, the wages made it all worthwhile.
After completing their task and receiving the five dollars from Deng Shirong, they were rejuvenated, as if injected with energy.
Deng Shirong also prepared a working meal for them, ensuring they left satisfied and well-fed.
…
The restaurant closed at seven in the evening.
Back at the two-story building on the main street, Zhang Xiuping began calculating the day's earnings.
At noon, they had served eight tables, and in the afternoon, thirteen tables.
Throughout the day, they had served a total of 21 tables, with a turnover of 86.5 yuan.
Despite the 20% discount, the restaurant's profit still exceeded 50 yuan.
Of course, this was the gross profit. Factoring in labor costs, they were operating at a loss for the day.
The nine-person promotion team alone cost 45 yuan, and with other labor expenses, the loss was at least ten to twenty yuan.
Deng Shirong reviewed the accounts and smiled, "This is better than expected. We won't need to spend as much on advertising tomorrow. Even if we don't get as many customers, we should be able to break even."
Deng Yunzhen said, "Master Zhang's cooking skills are excellent. The customers today were all very satisfied. As long as we manage the business well, we'll make a profit eventually."
Deng Yuntai, now confident, nodded, "Today was a good start. I hope we can continue to improve."
Bu Dashi, Chen Bangguo, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Especially the cousins Chen Bangli and Chen Bangfeng, who had been in the county town for several days. Life here was far more comfortable than in the countryside, and they hoped their uncle's business would thrive so they could continue working in the town.
Seeing that it was getting late, Deng Shirong asked everyone to start lining up for showers.
Since the two-story building was made of brick and wood, there was only one bathroom on the first floor. With over ten people taking turns, even if each person took only a few minutes, it would take more than an hour to finish. It was quite inconvenient.
Deng Shirong thought to himself that he should look for a suitable house nearby to purchase.
(End of this chapter)