HBWnovel Chapter 120 Opening
Chapter 120 Opening
Song Jiaojiao also thought the name was good; it was easy to pronounce and suited the environment of the beverage shop.
"Okay, let's call it Half a Day of Leisure." With the shop name decided, all that's left is to find someone with good calligraphy to write it, and then we can go get the signboard carved.
Song Jiaojiao thought of the student she had seen in the snack alley last time; his calligraphy was quite good, so she could try asking him for help tomorrow.
With the shop name settled, Song Jiaojiao felt relieved. Tomorrow she would go to the kiln to order a batch of porcelain, and the shop's progress would be halfway complete.
The remaining issues are pricing the items sold in the store, advertising, and the opening date.
Time passed in this busy atmosphere, and soon it was the eve of Song Jiaojiao's grand opening.
He gathered everyone together again, saying, "The shop is all renovated, the porcelain was delivered yesterday, and the suppliers for the raw materials have all been found. Now all that's left is to set the opening date and determine the menu prices. Let's talk about the prices first."
Song Jiaojiao planned to serve eight kinds of drinks and two kinds of snacks first.
"Our main beverage is milk tea, and the most expensive ingredient is tea leaves. Muqing, what do you think would be a suitable price?"
Although this place is close to the academy, students who usually eat out either complain that the food in the canteen is too expensive or that it doesn't taste good. And since beverage shops don't really count as food, students who are short of money are not the main customers of Banrixian. The main customers are those students who have money and want to eat good food, so the prices can't be too low.
"Mother, this is what I'm thinking. Our shop mainly caters to those wealthy students, so the prices definitely won't be low. I think the original milk tea should be 20 coins a cup, and one coin more for each topping added. The original double-skin milk tea should be 25 coins a serving, and two coins more for each additional topping added." Mu Qing said her thoughts, looking nervously at Song Jiaojiao, wondering if her mother would agree to what she said.
Song Jiaojiao nodded, which was similar to what she had thought. If it was too expensive, not many people could afford it, since drinks could only be considered a snack after a meal.
"Muqing, let's set the price as you suggested. We can discuss any differences later. We'll make the menu tomorrow, and we can officially open in three days."
Before opening, there's no way to do it without publicity. Advertising naturally needs to be spread far and wide. Song Jiaojiao decided to find some students to write advertising leaflets tomorrow, and then have the people in the shop go out and distribute them. For the first three days after opening, they'll offer a second cup at half price. Although this is a fairly common promotion, as long as it works, that's fine.
Everyone completed their tasks in an orderly manner, and three days passed quickly.
The day came to June 28th. It was an auspicious day, suitable for all things. At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the sound of firecrackers crackling and popping rang out in front of Banrixian Gate.
Many people gathered here early in the morning, wanting to see the shops advertised in the advertisements they received a couple of days ago. Some were also attracted by the buy-one-get-one-half-price offer.
Standing in front of the shop, Song Jiaojiao expressed her gratitude, "Thank you all for visiting our Banri Xian. Perhaps some of you aren't familiar with what we sell, so let me explain. Banri Xian specializes in milk tea and double-skin milk pudding, as well as various other drinks."
For the first three days of opening, all items in the store are "buy one get one half price." As the name suggests, if your first milk tea costs 20 coins, the second cup will cost half that. Of course, all drinks will be charged based on the higher-priced one. Okay, I believe everyone has a basic understanding now, so I won't say any more. Half-Day Leisure is now officially open for business. Welcome to come and shop! Song Jiaojiao cut the red silk in front of her and pulled down the red cloth covering the door sign. Thus, Half-Day Leisure officially opened for business.
Some people entered the store out of curiosity, while others were more interested in the "buy one get one half price" promotion, and still others chose to observe from the doorway.
Song Jiaojiao had Tan Mujiang build a lot of benches at the entrance early on, so that passing customers could have a place to rest.
There were quite a few people in the store, but no one was ordering. Song Jiaojiao had asked Mu Qing and the others to make samples of the drinks on the menu and put them on the bar early in the morning.
The pristine white porcelain is paired with various flavors of milk tea, with ice cubes floating in the tea, making it look incredibly refreshing.
It was a sunny day, and by 9:00 AM the sun was already high in the sky, which brought a rise in temperature. Customers who had been standing at the door for a while were already feeling unbearably hot. Regardless of what the milk tea was, some people started ordering just because of the ice in it.
"Um, give me a cup of this, I think it has ice in it?" a plump gentleman dressed in silk said, pointing to the red bean milk tea on the table.
"Yes, you can choose whether or not to add ice to any of our drinks. For example, our red bean milk tea is half price for the second cup during our opening promotion. Would you like to order anything else?"
Wang Yu smiled and said to the customer in front of her.
"Then let's have this one too!" the customer said, pointing again to the double-skin milk pudding with mochi balls.
"Okay, a cup of red bean milk tea with ice, a bowl of mini glutinous rice balls, mochi, and double-skin milk, customer, that'll be 39 coins in total," Wang Yu said with a smile.
"I haven't even seen the goods yet, and you want me to pay first?" the old man in front of him asked incredulously. This was the first time he had ever heard of a shop that wanted payment before even seeing the goods.
"Yes, customer, this is to make it easier for you to take your things," Wang Yu said with a smile. She had been quite surprised when Song Jiaojiao suggested this payment method.
"Alright, I'd like to see if your stuff is really worth it." The old man didn't argue with her any further. It was too hot, and if it didn't meet his expectations, he wouldn't let the shop owner off the hook.
Wang Yu took the 39 coins and handed the master a number 1 token. "This is your meal card. Please go to the meal area to collect your meal."
This made the old man laugh in exasperation. Not only did he have to pay in advance, but he also had to pick up his own food. Fine, fine, he wanted to see what was so special about this restaurant.
Following the gentleman, several more customers placed orders, but most were waiting for positive reviews from those who had placed the orders before them.
Meal number 1 was served quickly. The gentleman sat down in the store with a milk tea in one hand and a double-skin milk pudding in the other, and took a sip of the milk tea first.
The rich aroma of milk paired with the delicate fragrance of tea, plus the sweetness of red beans—this flavor is truly exceptional. The milk tea contains plenty of ice; one sip instantly cools the body from its heat. It's so comforting that the old man couldn't help but exclaim, "Delicious! So refreshing! I didn't expect this shop to be so different."
Then he tried the double-skin milk pudding. The soft and chewy glutinous rice balls paired with the stretchy mochi, along with the melt-in-your-mouth double-skin milk pudding, instantly whetted the old man's appetite. Having a bowl of this in the hot summer would be absolutely comforting.
The customers behind him only saw the old man eating heartily without saying a word, and they knew that the food must be delicious. Others might not know, but the people who lived in the county knew that the old man in front of them was famous throughout the county, and wherever there was good food, he would be there.