NOVEL NEXT 56
“Wow, he’s so fast! Could this be a success?”
“Oh no, it seems too spicy~ What will he do?”
“You can do it!”
The clamorous crowd’s attention was focused on a single point: the outdoor table at
I quietly handed off to another employee and stepped back to observe the situation.
I discreetly asked Roh Se-hee, who was standing beside me.
“How does it look? Pretty good, right?”
“Good? That’s an understatement.”
Roh Se-hee immediately shot back.
“Look at that line of people waiting to participate in the event. This alone is incredible publicity. And many are coming into the store just to watch.”
“Is it full house?”
“They say it’s chaos in there.”
“Haha.”
Once the floodgates opened, it all became so simple.
“Tell Da-on he’s worked hard today and seen by many, so he should clock out early. Let him know not to worry, as we’ll pay him a full day’s wages.”
“I’ll pass that along.”
“This is quite a relief.”
Phew. Imagine if our ambitious launch had failed to resonate with the public. How disheartening that would have been.
Of course, it’s not the first time the market’s response has differed from my predictions. Even so, I can’t help but feel anxious every time. I’m only human, after all.
“How did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That people needed a catalyst.”
Roh Se-hee looked into my eyes earnestly as she asked.
“I’ve planned many products myself, but I often find it confusing. The public’s judgment is cold. The amount of care and effort put into a product has no bearing on its success.”
That’s just how it is. It’s never easy to open someone else’s wallet.
“If it were me, I would have completely reevaluated the event plan, probably modifying it for a later attempt.”
“That would be the typical approach.”
It’s the most logical choice.
All outcomes are complex by nature. Various factors would be at play.
Weather, season, trends, location, timing, lack of promotion, and so on. It’s difficult to pinpoint any single issue as the problem.
“When you ask how I knew… there’s no grand formula or principle, so it’s hard to explain.”
How could I possibly define such a multifaceted phenomenon in a single statement? Everything depends on the specific circumstances.
“I just… try to see things from the customers’ perspective.”
“The customers’ perspective?”
“People are naturally wary of the unknown, right? But when they actually see something in front of them, don’t they often find it’s not as bad as they thought?”
“That’s true.”
Indeed. It’s hard to confidently purchase a product with zero reviews. Everyone feels that way. We all want to avoid risk.
But what if a friend right in front of you has bought and is happily using that product?
It’s a completely different feeling from staring at a phone screen for hours on end.
“People prefer things that are visually intuitive, don’t they? The poster has an image, but it’s hard to gauge the actual size. That creates a high barrier to entry.”
“……”
“But I was confident. The portion size wasn’t so intimidating that no one would dare to try, and the spiciness was at a level where people would say, ‘It’s very spicy, but still delicious.'”
After thorough consideration, I judged that the main obstacle preventing this potentially successful promotion was people’s fear.
The fear of the unknown, the hesitation.
“In such cases, the best approach is to show it right in front of them. Restaurants sometimes use this method when business is slow, don’t they?”
“Right. I’ve heard they sometimes seat part-timers at tables and have them eat the restaurant’s food.”
“It’s all the same principle.”
From familiar interior design to cheap bait menu items to showing off the menu using part-timers.
All these marketing tactics have a single purpose.
Reducing psychological resistance!
Allowing customers to cross the threshold of the store without feeling burdened. That’s the first hurdle in the food business.
“So you were confident.”
Roh Se-hee continued.
“Confident that once people experienced it, it would surely succeed.”
“Something like that.”
“Team Leader Jo was spot on.”
“Pardon?”
What did Jo I-ruk say? As I looked at Roh Se-hee with wide eyes, she smiled softly and spoke.
“Team Leader Jo said that sometimes it seems like you receive divine inspiration.”
“Haha. Did he now?”
“He said it’s as if you’ve seen the future… Anyway, I wondered what he meant, but today I understand clearly.”
Roh Se-hee smiled brightly.
Ah, I already knew that smile. She smiled like that on the day she first decided to take my hand.
Deep dimples formed on her cheeks, and fine wrinkles appeared on the bridge of her nose. Roh Se-hee used to say she didn’t smile widely because she was self-conscious about those nose wrinkles.
But to me, it’s so beautiful.
“I have a lot to learn from you. Going forward.”
Whether a face wrinkles or contorts, in the end, a person’s smile always brightens the mood of those who see it.
Seeing that refreshing smile, I smiled back.
“Likewise.”
I look forward to working with you, Team Leader Noh.
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Slurp.
A certain cast member from “I Live Alone” inhaled a mouthful of noodles covered in fiery red sauce that looked spicy even at a glance.
-Whew, haa. Ow, it’s spicy!
While continuously complaining about the spiciness, they didn’t stop using their chopsticks. After taking a bite of the Nuclear Fire Noodles, they started unwrapping a triangle kimbap placed beside it.
And then, plop.
They put the triangle kimbap into the cup noodles and started breaking it up.
-This is how you really enjoy it. Since it’s spicy, let’s add some cheese too.
The red sauce coated the white rice grains, giving them a glistening sheen. The panel members each reacted with “Wow~!”, “That looks so delicious!”
Munch, munch.
Only after completely emptying the Nuclear Fire Noodles container did the cast member finally stand up.
Click.
I turned off the TV.
‘That’s it.’
A powerful hit that would instantly catapult Nuclear Fire Noodles, which had been slowly building its reputation under the surface, into the ‘mainstream’ lineup.
That just happened.
With this, the spicy food trend was a sure thing.
I could tell without even looking. How many people would be trying to recreate that combination on the internet right now?
And I could vividly picture YouTubers rushing to film Nuclear Fire Noodles challenges.
‘I should have waited a bit longer.’
I had been struggling to activate the event as quickly as possible, not knowing when Nuclear Fire Noodles would blow up. If I had waited just a few more days, this would have happened.
Then the public broadcast would have promoted it automatically like this.
‘Time to wash up and get some sleep.’
It felt like I could sleep without a worry tonight. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Completely unaware of what would unfold the next day.
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“How’s the status of the franchise openings?”
Jo I-ruk answered my question promptly.
“Currently, we have 4
“Good. They’re all in the metropolitan area, right?”
“Yes. They’re mainly concentrated in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon.”
This is all according to the original plan.
We selected all franchise owners through direct interviews. Some were people who had worked with me in the past, and some were new.
With franchises expanding like this, we need to add ‘franchise management’ to the company’s core tasks from now on.
And this part is usually the most challenging.
“For the soup restaurants that have opened, please report their daily sales to me and keep a close eye on them.”
“Yes, understood.”
“We’ll conduct thorough hygiene inspections, and everyone knows about the three-strikes policy with no exceptions, right?”
“Yes. I’ve repeatedly emphasized that hygiene issues will be strictly inspected. Everyone followed along without issues during training.”
Everyone does well at first.
The real problem comes after they get used to the business. At first, they work day and night, worried about not making sales or not recovering their investment.
Well, I’m sure Jo I-ruk has trained them well. Any slacking off afterward is the individual franchise owner’s problem, and there’s not much more we can do about it.
All we can do is consistently inspect and visit to keep them on their toes.
“Please proceed like that, continue the trial operation for about three months, and then…”
Just then.
Bang! Crash!
“You can’t do this, I’m telling you!”
“Let go of me!”
Along with the security guard’s restraining voice, a commotion erupted from the stairwell.
What’s going on?
The door burst open, and an unfamiliar middle-aged man barged in. The security guard, following behind and sweating profusely, met my eyes and looked dismayed.
“Please, sir. You really can’t do this.”
“I’m telling you, I just need to talk for a moment!”
“But sir, we have procedures. We need to get clearance from the CEO first…”
“What seems to be the problem?”
As I approached and asked, the security guard answered with a troubled expression.
“Well, I told him it wasn’t allowed, but this gentleman just forcefully…”
“Forcefully?! Hey, watch how you talk!”
The man jumped up, protesting the security guard’s words. What on earth is this commotion about?
“I came to see
Oh. Me?
“Ah, there you are!”
The man whipped his head around.
“CEO, let’s talk! I’m the representative of the local merchants’ association, and if you have any business ethics, you shouldn’t be doing this!”
“……”
“……”
“Are… are you talking to me?”
Jo I-ruk asked, dumbfounded. To this, the man claiming to be the merchants’ association representative replied with an expression full of certainty.
“Is there another
“……”
“……”
Everyone’s gaze silently shifted towards me.
I simply smiled faintly.
Well, this is getting interesting.