NOVEL NEXT 54
Jo I-ruk stared at me with a blank expression before asking again.
“I understand you intended for it to be spicy, but, hiss, still, isn’t this, slurp, too spicy?”
Between his words, I could see him wincing as if his tongue was burning. The spiciness was so intense it brought tears to his eyes.
That was precisely the core of this ‘Nuclear Chicken Feet’.
A fiery taste that seemed to disregard the general public, making one think, ‘Is it really this spicy?’ That was the very charm of this dish.
In the not-too-distant future, a spicy ‘Nuclear Fire Noodles’ was set to lead the trend.
What made Nuclear Fire Noodles famous?
None other than its shockingly spicy flavor—that was its appeal.
‘Later, various versions of Nuclear Fire Noodles came out, toning down the spiciness, but at first, it was quite the sensation.’
It was a product that utterly shattered the prejudices that no one would eat such spicy food, that the public would shun it, that only a small group of enthusiasts would buy it.
‘The product’s release and its explosive popularity are already set in stone. That’s not something I can change. But what we need to focus on is…’
The trend in the food industry following the hit of Nuclear Fire Noodles.
‘The spicy food craze!’
People from all walks of life started seeking out spicy food. Various companies competitively released spicy dishes.
Places rumored to be spicy attracted YouTubers in droves, calling it some sort of challenge.
That’s exactly what I’m trying to capitalize on.
“It makes your eyes and nose water, doesn’t it? It’s so spicy you’d think no one would eat this.”
“Yes, exactly.”
Jo I-ruk replied with reddened eyes.
“While chicken feet are certainly meant to be spicy, this is a bit excessive.”
Cough, cough. Jo I-ruk even let out a small cough.
“Is it really that spicy? I watched the cooking process…”
Han Mi-ae cautiously asked. When I had asked to borrow the kitchen here, she had observed the entire recipe, saying she wanted to watch and learn.
“When I said I’d try it once, Woo-yeon told me not to eat it because it was too spicy.”
“Boss Han, please don’t eat it. It’s very spicy.”
For reference, I hadn’t eaten it much myself after the recipe was standardized. I took out the milk I had prepared in advance and handed it to Jo I-ruk, who hastily accepted it and gulped it down.
“Whew. I can breathe a little now.”
The red sauce had stained the corners of his lips, which were swollen from the intense spiciness.
“This is… too much. It’s almost sadistic.”
Jo I-ruk expressed his concerns without hesitation.
“Of course, spicy food can be addictive, and it has its dedicated fanbase. But it will be unfamiliar to the general public.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to serve this recklessly.”
After all, Nuclear Fire Noodles hadn’t even come out yet. That would be going too far.
“We’ll put warning labels on it, and add about five skull symbols. Something like ‘Caution! Extremely Spicy! Very, Very Hot!’ We’ll intimidate them a bit, and double-check when taking orders.”
“Will anyone order it if we go that far?”
Jo I-ruk shot me a worried look. Yes, that’s what people usually think.
That it won’t sell because it’s too spicy.
But human psychology is a curious thing.
“Jo I-ruk-ssi. If a stranger offered you an unfamiliar product and told you to try it, would you want to buy it?”
“I probably wouldn’t touch it.”
“That’s natural. But what if someone seemed to be hiding something from you, and when you asked what it was, they said, ‘It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Absolutely don’t worry about it. This is really, really nothing’?”
At my words, Jo I-ruk hesitated for a moment before quietly answering.
“…I’d be extremely curious.”
“Right?”
That’s the key.
“But isn’t this different? Many people dislike spicy food. Excessively spicy food can cause stomach pain. What if customers complain to the store about heartburn?”
“There might be such customers.”
“Is it necessary to take such a risk?”
Jo I-ruk looked utterly perplexed. Of course, from his perspective, this Nuclear Chicken Feet was a menu item full of drawbacks.
While it has a distinct fanbase, the target audience is small. It’s so spicy that there’s a high chance of complaints.
Adding a single menu item increases kitchen complexity, and there’s a risk of flavors mixing, so extra care is needed when serving.
The cons outweigh the pros.
‘At least for now.’
But what about the future? We’re on the cusp of the mukbang era.
For at least the next decade, an enormous amount of food-related content, led by these ‘mukbangs’, was set to pour out.
Mukbang YouTubers like Sim Chae-yoon were just the beginning; even public broadcasting stations would be catching onto food-related needs and planning various programs.
For example, shows like ‘Raid the Refrigerator’.
The restaurant industry wouldn’t be much different, with so-called ‘challenge foods’ set to become a huge trend.
Things like eating an enormous amount of ramen within a time limit, or finishing an extremely spicy pork cutlet.
Standing before this massive trend, isn’t opportunity for those who move first?
“We’ll serve a huge portion, and the price will be higher than regular menu items. About three times as much.”
I could see Jo I-ruk’s shock at my words.
“But if they finish it within the 20-minute time limit, it’s free.”
“Ah…!”
“It’s about provoking a sense of challenge.”
Jo I-ruk seemed to finally grasp my intention. Yes. While
“It’ll be a seasonal menu, so we won’t sell it for long. It’s a device to imprint the store’s name in people’s minds.”
“I see. Then you’ll remove it since it was an event menu, and use the reputation gained from this event to increase the number of franchise locations. That’s your plan, isn’t it?”
“Correct.”
At my words, Jo I-ruk fell silent as if measuring something. After pondering for a while, he seemed to judge that there was some potential.
“If it’s an event menu, that should be fine. If the response is poor, we can just remove it.”
“Plus, it’s just a sauce variation on the existing chicken feet menu, so the ingredients aren’t much different.”
“Even if the menu doesn’t sell well, we can use up the stock as regular chicken feet, so there’s no problem.”
Great minds think alike.
He immediately understood why I chose ‘chicken feet’ as the menu item. It seems his observations and learning weren’t in vain.
“If that’s the case, it should be fine. Even this excessive spiciness becomes something to challenge.”
“Right? We could put the names of successful challengers on a wall in the store or give them souvenirs.”
“I’ll discuss it with Roh Se-hee-ssi.”
This kind of planning is Roh Se-hee’s specialty, so she’ll surely create a good framework. My role in providing the idea is sufficient.
“Sounds fun. I should quickly learn the recipe so I can make it too!”
Han Mi-ae also clapped her hands in excitement.
Yes. I thought everything would proceed smoothly like that.
Until a week later, after the launch of the Nuclear Chicken Feet event, when I heard this news.
“The participation rate is low?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Jo I-ruk continued as he submitted his report.
“We’ve set up street signs, put up posters inside the store… but maybe because of the price, there haven’t been any challengers yet.”
“Not even one?”
“No, not even one.”
This can’t be.
Before my regression, around this time, there was a store that gained popularity on YouTube with a similar concept. Compared to that, our menu and setup aren’t bad at all.
How could there be so little participation?
I stared at the report, lost in thought for a moment.
Why did it fail?
Is the Nuclear Chicken Feet too spicy? But it was a menu item that we had worked tirelessly on to achieve a ‘deliciously spicy’ taste.
We had adjusted the balance between menu items multiple times to ensure it wasn’t excessively spicy or the portion size wasn’t too large.
‘Is it because the Nuclear Fire Noodles, which are supposed to lead the spicy trend, haven’t gained proper popularity yet?’
Currently, Nuclear Fire Noodles were spreading by word of mouth, but they were receiving a lukewarm response due to the lack of a big break on public broadcasting.
Once that big break happens, its popularity would increase exponentially, but for now, more people were asking, “Is there such a thing?”
‘Is it because
This challenge food is inherently an attention-grabbing menu for viral marketing, which conflicts with the nature of a neighborhood business.
Even so, I thought at least one or two people would take on the challenge since it’s an event menu…
My prediction had completely missed the mark.
“It’s only the third day of the event, but due to the poor response, we might have to end it early.”
At Jo I-ruk’s words, I immediately stood up from my seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Pardon? To Happy Snack?”
“Yes.”
“What are you planning to do there?”
Jo I-ruk asked, seemingly dumbfounded.
“Even if you go, CEO, nothing will change. It simply failed to garner public interest, and this outcome was within our expectations. It would be better to move on to another plan…!”
I interrupted, stuffing the scattered items on my desk into my bag.
“We can save it!”
I hastily added.
“We can save this event, I tell you!”
Because that idea had just popped into my head.