NOVEL NEXT 18
‘It might seem like I’m meddling, but….’
Isn’t it a pity?
Handwritten menus with prices were scattered throughout the shop. The prices were reasonable, and the place was clean. The owner’s warm greetings showed how much affection she poured into the shop.
Yet the most crucial element, the food, was lacking. How could the business thrive?
Though she didn’t show it in front of customers, she must be agonizing over monthly losses.
‘Still, being a small, one-person shop allowed her to save on labor costs and hang on for a while.’
During our entire meal, only one customer came for takeout tteokbokki, accounting for the entirety of the lunch sales. I could see the financial situation clearly without even looking at the books.
“Try using a griddle about half the size of your current one for the tteokbokki.”
It was just a simple suggestion. Customers often comment on taste or menu items, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she dismissed it as just another customer’s opinion.
I saw the snack shop owner’s eyes widen at my unexpected words. I bowed slightly and turned to leave.
Just as I was about to open the door.
“Wait a moment!”
The owner stopped us. As I slowly turned back, she asked with a desperate expression.
“What do you mean? Changing the tteokbokki griddle….”
“…….”
“Was there something that made you uncomfortable during your meal?”
That look in her eyes.
Novice owners often struggle to diagnose problems in their own shops. It’s difficult to make objective judgments.
In such cases, they sometimes seek evaluations from customers like this. When I first started my business, I would secretly follow customers out of the shop to overhear their honest opinions.
She must have that same desperate feeling.
Business isn’t going well, but she can’t figure out why. She’s grasping at straws, stopping a departing customer to ask for reasons.
Don’t I understand that feeling?
“Your tteokbokki griddle. You bought it on recommendation from the merchants at the Central Market, right?”
“Huh? How did you….”
“Is there anyone preparing to start a business who hasn’t been there?”
I shrugged, and the owner’s eyes widened. My youthful appearance probably made my business talk seem unlikely.
Kim Jong-chun, who had been observing the situation, quietly asked:
“What’s this Central Market?”
“It’s a place that sells various kitchen tools. It’s hard to find commercial kitchen equipment in regular stores.”
“There’s a place like that?”
“I’ll introduce you sometime. It’s good to drop by whenever you have time to look around. It’s also the first place to reflect market trends.”
To stand out among the numerous kitchen supply stores, one must be sensitive to trends.
What are the emerging areas in the food industry, or what new cooking tools have come out? Just looking at these things can be quite entertaining.
“When you go there and say you’re opening a snack shop, they recommend a large griddle like that, right?”
“Y-yes. When I first started the snack shop, I didn’t know anyone around… so I got a lot of advice there.”
As I thought.
“But why the tteokbokki griddle? Don’t most snack shops use one that size?”
Kim Jong-chun chimed in again. The snack shop owner nodded in agreement.
Of course, a large tteokbokki griddle has its advantages. The first would be maximizing visual impact.
However, for a snack shop just starting out, not one that’s already established, I wouldn’t recommend a griddle that size.
Because….
“Ma’am, can you sell an entire griddle of tteokbokki in a day?”
“…No. Not all of it….”
“It seems like more than half is left over, not just a little, right?”
“That’s right.”
The owner lowered her head, seemingly embarrassed.
“Then you usually reuse the leftover tteokbokki the next day, right? Just add some water and simmer it again.”
“…….”
“The texture of the rice cakes changes, even if it looks the same. Then customers who prefer chewy tteokbokki stop coming, leading to even more leftovers. It becomes a vicious cycle.”
This is a common mistake made by snack shop owners.
When they can’t predict how much tteokbokki they can sell in a day, they fill a large griddle trying to imitate other snack shops, and this is the result.
It’s the danger of preconceptions, you could say.
“If you switch to a griddle about half the current size, the tteokbokki taste will be much better preserved. The sauce itself is fine.”
“…….”
“Oh, and don’t put kitchen paper towels on top of the fried food. I know you’re trying to keep dust off, but it makes the food soggy quickly.”
That’s about all I can say.
Her customer service skills, shop cleanliness, and hygiene management seem fine without needing mention.
The owner’s expression didn’t look good when I glanced at her. She might be angry, thinking I’m pretending to know things, or she might be realizing her mistakes and feeling despair.
Whether to accept this advice is the snack shop owner’s choice.
This is all the advice I can offer.
“……Thank you.”
Then the snack shop owner bowed deeply. As I awkwardly bowed back, she continued with a choked-up expression.
Oh, oh my. Is she crying…?!
“I, I was so foolish, not knowing even this, wondering every day why there were no customers…. I tried not to think negatively, cleaning the shop diligently, greeting customers with a smile…. But sales always remained the same, and I kept wondering what I was doing wrong……. Every day, every day, just that thought….”
Sob, sob. The owner finally burst into tears.
Kim Jong-chun hurriedly pulled out some tissues from nearby and handed them to her. She took them and wiped her tears.
“Oh my, here. Take more.”
“Sniff…. Thank you.”
After a while, the owner seemed to calm down and finally stopped crying.
Somehow, there was a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Business isn’t going as you hoped, is it?”
“…That’s right.”
“Just working hard doesn’t always lead to good results. That’s why it’s so difficult.”
The owner nodded at my consolation.
“I…. When I made tteokbokki at home, my children loved it so much. They said it was just like the ones sold in shops, that their mom’s cooking skills were the best. With their encouragement, I gathered the courage to open this shop, but….”
This is quite common.
Of course, everyone says it’s delicious at home. When developing new menu items, I always say never to listen to advice from those close to you.
Because they’ll always say it’s delicious.
Not many people can say food tastes bad to the cook’s face. Especially if it’s a friend or family member.
Affectionate praise is very appreciated, but when it gets tangled with the food business, it becomes problematic in many ways.
Entering the food industry with such a casual mindset is likely to lead to trouble.
“I’ll try changing it as you suggested. Thank you, young lady.”
I scratched my head and replied awkwardly.
“It’s nothing. I’m sorry for meddling. …But ma’am, I was sincere when I said your sauce is good.”
While children’s ‘Mom’s food is the best!’ is usually an expression of affection and love.
“You really do have cooking skills. With a little adjustment, you’ll soon have many regulars.”
There were just some mistakes in cooking in large quantities. Since she seems to have a good sense for food, even though the tteokbokki was overcooked, the seasoning was just right.
That alone shows plenty of potential.
“……Young lady. What’s your name?”
“Pardon?”
My name, suddenly? As I asked back in confusion, the snack shop owner was looking at me earnestly with tears welling up in her eyes.
“I’m just so grateful. Um, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it seems you’re planning to open a shop nearby. Is that right?”
“Ah, yes. I’m planning to open one,” Kim Jong-chun answered promptly.
“You’ll come often too, right?”
“I will. There’s a lot to pay attention to in the early stages of opening a shop.”
“For you, especially, everything will be free from now on, no matter what you eat. We’ll be seeing each other often, so it would be nice to know each other’s names, right?”
Her bright smile, as if she had never cried, was dazzling. …Her customer service is truly impeccable.
“In return, give me tips like this when you notice something. Okay?”
Haha. Using a decades-experienced business expert for free like this?
“My name is Song Woo-yeon. I look forward to our future relationship.”
Well, why not?
We were already thinking we’d need help from existing merchants to establish ourselves in this commercial area.
“I’m Han Mi-ae.”
We shook hands and smiled brightly. It felt like we’d already found a good neighbor.
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Woooong-.
“Ah, a little more to the left! Left! It seems slightly crooked? Ah, okay! It’s perfect now!”
As soon as Kim Jong-chun gave his approval, several people began working.
A large signboard, sleek interior design. And an optimized layout inside the shop.
Everything was perfect.
“Hehehe…. Hahahaha!”
Kim Jong-chun burst into laughter. With the signboard finally up, it all felt real.
After overcoming all the arduous processes, it was finally time for the real start!
How much they had struggled until now. Even during the interior construction, he had been anxious about potentially being scammed, as seen in previous cases.
Of course, thanks to someone recommending a reliable company, one worry was lifted, but….
Tap.
Just then, someone tapped Kim Jong-chun’s shoulder. He turned his head to see a welcome face, like a bundle of good fortune.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, Woo-yeon. We just finished putting up the signboard.”
“I thought so. Hmm….”
Song Woo-yeon looked up at the new signboard.
The only difference from the main branch was the small addition of the location name on the side of the signboard. Of course, that wasn’t the only change.
There was one more addition, not just to the branch but also to the main branch’s signboard….
Song Woo-yeon grinned while looking at the corner of the signboard.
That logo was elegantly engraved there. It meant that the
‘Just two shops for now. …But I’m confident.’
Confident in making this
“…But Woo-yeon, I’m so nervous about tomorrow’s opening that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep. What should I do?”
Of course, the immediate priority was to successfully open this first branch.