Chapter 16
Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Reviving Alley
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Here's the first one!"
Hmm. I glanced around. Office buildings lined the area.
It was just off the main thoroughfare. I could guess the selection criteria.
"In-cheol's place is in a spot like this, right? Since you're opening the same kind of shop, I figured somewhere similar would work..."
The idea itself was pretty clever. It was the kind of thinking a beginner might have, but there were signs of real effort.
"In that sense, the location isn't bad. With all the office workers around, weekday business should be decent..."
"Right?"
Kim Jong-chun's eyes lit up at my words.
"The shop size is about the same as In-cheol's too. Key money's low, and there aren't any similar gukbap joints nearby. I hung around for a few days to check foot traffic, and it was pretty good."
He'd really put in the work. Piecing together info from here and there, checking it out himself—it looked like he'd given it his all. But as sorry as I felt for Kim Jong-chun staring at me with those eager eyes...
"This one's no good."
"Huh? Why?"
"Owner Lee In-cheol's spot isn't in a great location. It's been established there for ages, so no choice, but yours is a fresh start. No reason to pick a weak commercial district on purpose."
"Weak district?"
Of course. I explained step by step.
"Office districts aren't great commercial areas overall. Weekends are dead."
"Ah...!"
"Your main customers, the office workers, only show up on weekdays. In-cheol's place has some residential officetels mixed in, so it works okay, but this is nothing but offices. Weekends would tank."
"I see."
Of course, a killer unique menu could overcome a bad district.
Something signature you can only get there—if word spreads, people come from afar.
'But that's not a franchise model.'
Only viable for a one-off shop. No one's trekking out for franchise food.
'Uniqueness' and 'franchise' clash by nature.
So franchises need way better accessibility.
"And the second?"
"Oh, this way!"
Following Kim Jong-chun, the second candidate appeared. A much wider boulevard than the first.
I checked my watch. 10 a.m. Weekday morning, but foot traffic was solid.
'Age groups... pretty mixed.'
Not a bad sign.
"Second floor here."
The spot he pointed to was the second floor of a building hugging the boulevard. Looked like it used to be an academy—piano lesson posters everywhere.
"The owner's health tanked suddenly, so he's letting it go. Fire sale price. Sure, pricier than the first, but..."
"Better district, can't be helped."
"Good district, huh?"
Kim Jong-chun grinned proudly, eyes saying, 'This one's solid, right?'
But...
"This one's out too."
"Why?!"
He whined that this was his prized find after days of legwork. Must sting getting shot down after a quick look.
Still, no means no.
"First, second floor."
"In-cheol's is second floor too!"
"Different kind of second floor. Check the stairs."
I pointed to the building's stairs.
"Way steeper than In-cheol's building."
"Now that you mention..."
"No elevator either. Elders wreck their knees on those. Gukbap joint hard for seniors to reach? Good plan?"
In-cheol's building had low ceilings per floor, so stairs weren't bad.
Modern buildings go tall per floor, stairs get brutal.
Same number of steps, but taller risers? Way tougher.
"Already bad access on second floor, with stairs like that... who wants to eat there? Not me."
"Ugh."
Kim Jong-chun clung, countering once more.
"But apartments nearby?"
He pointed behind. Fancy apartments came into view.
Familiar name—branded from some big constructor.
"...What sizes are those units?"
"Huh?"
He looked flustered at the sudden question.
"Why sizes? Eyeing it? Pricey..."
"You think I'd move in?"
"Then?"
"Unit size affects the district. Looks like big ones. Right?"
He checked his phone, nodded.
"Yeah, seems so."
"Like you said, apartments usually make good districts. Residents cover weekends."
He nodded eagerly. Right, right.
"But not luxury ones."
"Why? Isn't it better? Rich folks boost sales hard?"
"Easy mistake."
But that's shallow customer insight. Miss the target demo, and you assume wrong.
"If you're doing upscale hanwoo or neat hanjeongsik, sure, near luxury. But we're gukbap."
"Right."
"Not galbitang at over ten thousand a bowl. Cheap gukbap, value play."
"Ah...!"
Kim Jong-chun's eyes widened, getting it.
"Gukbap's thin-margin, high-volume. Low per-head spend. Need fast turnover—eat quick, leave quick."
I smiled, dropping the conclusion.
"In short, that apartment's crowd and our gukbap customers? Totally different."
"I see!"
He marveled like enlightenment dawned. Not the 'apartment'—who lives there, what demo.
'I messed up once too, in a luxury mall with gamjatang.'
Neighbors packed, mine dead.
Turns out others were hanwoo grills, eel, herbal samgyetang.
My gamjatang stuck out like a sore thumb.
Margins sucked, painful lesson. At least now I can steer Kim Jong-chun clear.
"I get it...!"
He bobbed his head, awe in his eyes.
"How does Woo-yeon kid know all this?"
"...Learned on NewTube."
"Maybe I should watch NewTube too."
Ahem. Guilty conscience. Not wrong, though. Pre-regression, I shared tips on NewTube...
Song Woo-yeon TV might relaunch someday.
"Um... Woo-yeon. These were my only two candidates."
He scratched his head sheepishly.
"Sorry. Wasted your time on duds. Give me a few more days, I'll find a gem..."
"No, it's fine."
"Huh?"
"I can tell how hard you looked."
Effort and passion proven. He'd gathered tons, considered foot traffic, competition. Greenhorn now thinking like a pro.
"Come here."
I'd spotted a good one en route.
Backtracked between candidate one and two, to the alley mouth.
Tap.
Stopped, turned.
"How about here?"
Kim Jong-chun stared blankly. No clue what I meant.
Then shock flooded his face.
"Wait. Woo-yeon... you're kidding?"
Sadly, no.
He read the answer in my grin, face paling.
"But this place..."
Glanced around: shuttered shops galore. Whole alley dead, eerie like ghosts lurked.
World away from the bustling boulevard of early birds.
Felt colder here somehow.
"Too dead, right?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Uncle, I'm no pro analyst. That's for experts."
I'm no analyst or chef. Just a hustler.
Can't invade expert turf. Mimic, maybe.
"My method ain't perfect."
Phone said 10:30ish. Near 11, lights flickered on here and there.
Tap-tap-tap.
Lucky—the alley lit up from back to front. Mouth brightened instantly.
Wish In-cheol were here.
Because right now... magic was unfolding.