NOVEL NEXT 14
“Location conditions…”
Lee In-cheol nodded thoughtfully before suddenly turning to look at me.
“Our shop doesn’t have a good location.”
“That’s why it’s been difficult.”
“Ugh…”
“Still, being in an office district helped. The workers around here don’t have many options. They have to eat lunch somewhere nearby, and soup is a time-saver during their precious one-hour break.”
“Hmm.”
“The weather has a big impact too. In winter, people crave hot soup dishes.”
The conditions were favorable in many ways. Except for the location, there were reasons to take a chance.
“If we’d moved just one block over, the location would have been much better… You came here because of the premium, right?”
“You’re right.”
Lee In-cheol looked surprised. He clearly hadn’t expected me to understand even this.
“Just one block away, the premium is in the millions, while here it’s in the thousands. Sheesh. Just for a few steps difference!”
There’s a concept unfamiliar to most ordinary office workers: the ‘premium’. It’s completely different from monthly rent, though it’s complex to explain in detail.
For example, say person A takes over a ground floor space and sets up a shop. They have to renovate everything from the interior to plumbing and electricity.
It’s an investment beyond just renting the space.
Then, if A closes shop for some reason and B takes over, B gets all the facilities A set up, plus the regular customers.
The ‘premium’ is the monetary value placed on these hard-to-quantify benefits.
While some places might not have a premium, it’s common for successful locations.
Novice owners often settle for spots slightly off the main commercial areas to avoid this cost.
‘But it’s the opposite. Beginners should aim for prime locations.’
Even if it costs more. Of course, I’m not saying to pay an unreasonable premium. The point is that if the price matches the location, it’s worth paying more.
“There’s a reason premiums form like that. Just one block makes a huge difference in foot traffic.”
“That’s true…”
“If you’d spent a bit more at the start to set up in that main area, you would have succeeded earlier and earned many times your investment.”
“Ugh. Should I… should I move now…?”
“We’ve just settled in, why move? Focus on building regular customers.”
Besides, a small restaurant in a secluded alley has its own charm. Doesn’t it feel like a special hidden gem?
Someday this
“Still, Song Woo-yeon, you seem to know a bit about analyzing locations and commercial districts? You’re quite talented.”
“…Not really.”
“Huh?”
“Even for me, analyzing commercial districts is difficult.”
Even in the company, we had a specialized analysis team for that. While I eagerly participated in new menu development, location analysis was an area I didn’t touch.
I’ve picked up bits and pieces, but I’m still an amateur at best.
“Then what will you do?”
“Don’t worry, boss.”
I’ve got it all figured out.
“I know how to work magic. I have a way to find the perfect spot for business.”
Lee In-cheol’s eyes widened as he looked at me. He seemed eager to ask exactly what I meant.
Hehehe.
He’ll see soon enough.
“Oh, and boss. Is 3 PM tomorrow okay? That’s when the customer cycle will have completely turned over.”
“Huh? Why suddenly ask about the time?”
“Part-time job applicants will be coming for interviews, so I wanted to let you know.”
“What?!”
I had already posted job listings on part-time job boards. I’d selected three or four promising candidates and scheduled interviews. Tomorrow, Lee In-cheol just needs to choose one or two from among them.
“Why are you so surprised? Ahjussi will be busy preparing to start his business, and I can’t stay here serving forever, can I?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“When the new part-timers arrive, I need to hand over and transition.”
It was a necessary choice for a bigger leap forward. This place was well-established now, so occasional management visits would suffice.
“Wait. Interview schedule? You were planning this even before my wife came…?”
“Of course.”
I said with a gentle smile. Lee In-cheol’s dumbfounded face was a sight to behold.
“I’ve never failed to secure an investment. Especially not in one-on-one situations like this.”
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After the tearful approval, we hurried to hand over responsibilities to two new part-time servers along with Kim Jong-chun.
“I’ll work hard!”
Said the brightly smiling male student, Jung Da-on.
“Please take care of me.”
Said the calmly bowing female student, Yoo Sol.
Both were college students living nearby. They said they came to earn tuition and living expenses, and both had considerable experience in customer service jobs, so they learned quickly.
We could refine any lacking areas over time, and for now, I planned to work in the dining area teaching them.
With more people, three of us could work in the dining area without issue. My wages were essentially a non-factor.
And for Kim Jong-chun… I gave him one mission.
“W-what? You want me to select candidate locations for the business myself?”
“Yes. You need to search on foot yourself.”
Kim Jong-chun’s eyes widened pitifully, like an abandoned puppy.
“You’re not coming with me…?”
“Is this my shop? It’s yours. The owner should do it himself.”
Hearing my cold response, Kim Jong-chun walked away with slumped shoulders.
Hmm. His retreating figure does look pitiful. But it can’t be helped. This is my iron rule.
“Why won’t you search together? Didn’t you say you had some magical method?”
“It’s a kind of test.”
“A test?”
“Sometimes, among people wanting to start a food business, there are those who aren’t properly prepared mentally.”
A sort of test gateway was needed to filter out such individuals.
“For franchises, creating long-lasting shops is more important than increasing the number of stores.”
Frequent changes in store numbers cause various disruptions in logistics supply. All of that results in business losses.
One well-nurtured store is worth more than ten mediocre ones.
It was far more important to nurture a shop with solid foundations, even if small in scale.
“I understand your point, but… what does that have to do with personally looking for real estate?”
“You’ll see.”
I narrowed my eyes, imagining Kim Jong-chun wandering from one real estate agency to another.
“Still, since ahjussi was in sales, he’ll probably pass the first hurdle easily.”
“Goodness. What are you talking about? The first hurdle?”
“Well…”
At that same moment,
Kim Jong-chun cautiously poked his head into a real estate office.
“Hello?”
The owner inside, who had been typing on a keyboard, nodded slightly.
“Come in. What are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for a good location to open a shop. Do you have any good properties?”
“A shop… A restaurant?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Just a moment~ Please have a seat.”
The real estate agent just stared at his computer without saying much. Kim Jong-chun sat down at the table in front, waiting blankly for the agent.
– The first step is swallowing your pride as you visit real estate offices. Novices usually stand out, so they don’t get good treatment from agents. Having to bow and scrape, asking them to contact you if they find a good spot—it really hurts your pride.
Tick, tock.
Only the clock’s second hand and the agent’s occasional coughs could be heard.
After what seemed like ages, the agent glanced at Kim Jong-chun and spoke.
“Hmm… There are a few good spots. Want to go see them now?”
“Yes!”
“Let’s take my car.”
And so Kim Jong-chun followed the agent. Soon, the car came to a stop.
“Here’s the first property.”
“Wow…”
Kim Jong-chun’s mouth fell open.
“It’s so spacious and clean.”
“Right? The interior was renovated just a few years ago. You probably won’t need to do any work if you move in.”
It was larger and grander than expected. The interior was well-decorated in modern style. Judging by the posters inside, it seems to have been a trendy Western-style restaurant.
“The location is excellent too. There’s a lot of foot traffic, and see those apartments? Together with the ones next door, there are 1,800 households. That means you could make a living just serving the apartment residents.”
“Wow. You’re right.”
With towering apartments and several people passing by the shop even in the short time they stood outside, it seemed to perfectly match the ‘location’ condition Song Woo-yeon had mentioned.
The thought of running a large soup restaurant in such a nice place and being called ‘boss’ made Kim Jong-chun’s shoulders rise with excitement.
But… one question arose.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“Why did this restaurant fail?”
…With such good conditions, why had this restaurant been put up for sale?
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“If that’s the first, what’s the second?”
“The second hurdle is seeing failed restaurants with your own eyes.”
“Ah. So they become scared to start?”
Song Woo-yeon smiled at Lee In-cheol.
“Boss, before starting your business, you studied successful restaurants, right? Why they’re popular, how they make their food, how many staff they employ. Things like that.”
“I did.”
“Have you ever analyzed failed restaurants?”
“Hmm?”
Lee In-cheol’s face filled with puzzlement.
“With successful restaurants, you can see why they’re doing well. But… it’s not the same with failed ones.”
That’s what makes them scarier.
“It’s the first time people realize that even seemingly good restaurants can fail.”