Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Salad Specialist Store
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"Salad..."
"A specialist store...?"
Everyone wore bewildered expressions. Hmm. I knew this reaction was coming, but it's even more dismal than I expected.
"Without pasta?"
Jo Yi-ruk hit the nail on the head first. Right. Western-style restaurants that serve salad as a side are a dime a dozen.
But a store that sells only salad? That's a whole different story.
"Oh, we have pasta."
Jo Yi-ruk looked relieved at that.
"Salad pasta, that is."
But his face fell back into confusion as I continued.
"...Owner. I'm usually on board with your ideas, but this is too reckless."
Jo Yi-ruk pushed up his glasses and spoke.
"The reality is that there's no solid demand for salad. Our food culture doesn't revolve around it. Most people think a meal isn't complete without meat sides—even with rice. Salad?"
There's a famous saying for a reason: When the pressure's low, head for the meat.
It means we're a nation fiercely loyal to our meat dishes. It was a valid point, so I nodded in agreement.
"Plus, so many health foods and diet products have already cornered that market. People who care about health eat their rice as usual and just add in stuff like red ginseng supplements. Dieters cut portions or go for chicken breast and boiled eggs."
Every word rang true.
Seeing me nod without rebuttal, the other employees started chiming in one by one.
No Se-hee voiced her concerns first.
"Don't our people prefer warm, hearty foods? Cool dishes don't get much love outside summer, and even then, we sweat it out with samgyetang. Chilled salad just doesn't rank high."
Park Sang-won followed up.
"And the price! Salad lives or dies by fresh veggies, so ingredient costs are high. Tough to compete on price."
Yang Ji-ah, gauging the mood, spoke up cautiously.
"There might be some demand in the capital area, but... out in the provinces? That's a stretch."
Spot on. Unlike other franchise brands, salad specialists won't find their crowd without focusing on the metro area.
And it'll only get harder going forward.
"Why not sell pasta too? We had internal talk about a Western franchise sounding good."
"Yeah, pasta's cheap to produce. Perfect for high-volume, low-margin."
"No. Western places still scream 'fancy restaurant' here. People order and chat for hours—turnover's a nightmare...."
Ideas flew fast and furious, then fizzled out.
"..."
"..."
With everyone done, their eyes turned to me. A brief silence fell, and I clapped to grab attention.
Clap!
"Alright, my turn?"
I smiled brightly, and Park Sang-won gulped hard. He looked like he was facing a formidable foe. We're on the same team, buddy.
"You all know health awareness is rising in Korea lately. Like Team Leader No said, health and diet products are everywhere now."
I rifled through my papers as I spoke.
"The National Health and Nutrition Survey even shows over 10% growth in health food spending."
I passed out pre-printed excerpts—the key stats only.
"And the dining-out market's diversifying. Foods we never saw before, like pho or mala tang, are popping up everywhere."
Oh, right. I added,
"Pho's way more mainstream still, though."
Mala tang's still niche—can't compare to pho yet.
I shrugged.
The topic strayed a bit from health foods, but unseen foreign eats are definitely gaining ground. Salad won't stay a side dish forever.
"Plus, vegetarians and vegans are on the rise. Global trend, and with more eco-awareness, it's natural."
And above all...
There was a solid reason to launch a salad specialist now.
"Team Leader Jo."
"Yes, Owner."
"What franchise brands do we have under The Song?"
"[Hapjae Gukbap], [Happiness Snacks], , [Shanghai Bun Shop], [Song Tea House]. [Happiness Snacks] is single-location but popular enough to include. Test stores don't count as full franchises."
Quick and precise. I nodded and continued.
"Which target young people? Highest 20s-30s share?"
"Excluding and [Song Tea House]... none."
[Happiness Snacks] had lost its student crowd with dinner service.
At this point, Jo Yi-ruk seemed to catch my drift. His eyes widened as he muttered,
"No way..."
"Yes. Exactly."
I grinned.
"It's an investment in future customers too."
Jo Yi-ruk aside, the others tilted their heads.
"Future... customers?"
Park Sang-won shot his hand up first.
"Ah! Got it! Salad targets young folks, so for brand diversity, we're considering this franchise?!"
"Half right."
"Only half?"
His triumphant face drooped.
"Half's better than none. Like you said, our franchises lack youth appeal. 's trendy but not really food."
"Mm. True."
"Our OXXO churros in prep are snacks too. We need variety. Broader targets make The Song stronger."
Everyone nodded readily. They bought that logic.
The wider the age net, the bigger the pie.
"Plus, 20s-30s make up 40% of dining-out spend. Young workers lack time to cook."
Lunch alone outsources huge flows.
"And most importantly, this 20s-30s crowd will dominate dining-out later."
"Ah...!"
Yang Ji-ah gasped, catching on.
"When 20s-30s become 30s-40s, even 50s-60s, will their brand picks change drastically?"
I doubt it.
Tastes shift—less greasy and spicy with age.
But 'brand image' sticks.
"We need a brand to imprint The Song on youth. Reliable, healthy, value-packed, tasty. That image."
"!"
"Maybe even more vital than immediate salad sales."
"..."
"..."
Silence after my spiel.
Oops. Got carried away? I lose track of the room sometimes—my flaw.
I scratched my neck awkwardly.
"Uh, not saying we'll eat losses forever. It'll be tough at first, but once established, it'll pay big later."
"..."
Still quiet. Too pie-in-the-sky?
Sales are king; image talk sounds dreamy...
That's when—
Clap clap clap clap!
Jo Yi-ruk applauded. Short and sharp. All eyes on him as he spoke.
"I was wrong."
His face showed relief and refreshment, not defeat.
"Thinking long-term, your direction makes more sense."
That sparked an outburst.
"I agree! Your promo and planning eye is unmatched, Owner. We could build a long-term plan on this..."
Yang Ji-a exclaimed excitedly,
"And we have veggie suppliers already, so our costs beat solo spots."
No Se-hee nodded.
"Kuh! As expected of the Owner!"
Park Sang-won beamed.
Their enthusiasm startled me, then I burst out laughing.
"Good. Salad specialist it is. Let's brainstorm concepts, menus, fair pricing."
"Yes, sir."
"Will do~."
"Meeting adjourned."
Time had flown. Sunset meant chilly evenings—I grabbed my coat.
Quitting time.
"Oh, and Re-ha, Ye-won."
I pointed at Hyun Ye-won and Baek Jae-ha.
"You two stay a bit."
Their eyes went wide.
"Dinner's on me."
Had to cheer up Hyun Ye-won post-bubble tea chat, and check Baek Jae-ha's study sessions with Jeong Da-on.
'Not just that, though...'
I glanced at Hyun Ye-won inwardly.
'Any Hyunmu hints would be gold.'