Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Starting Takeout
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"It's come, as expected."
I thought. Rather, this was Lee In-cheol holding out longer than most.
Even before my regression, I'd given business advice to various small business owners, but few followed it to the letter.
That's because in business, it's hard to visibly see how your actions affect results.
With so many factors intertwined, owners struggle to pinpoint why customers are dwindling.
So they wonder if the food's the issue and shell out big for recipes from famous spots, or redo the interior, or shower customers with freebies.
At least Lee In-cheol had firm convictions about his flavors and little greed for expansion, letting him grind away quietly until now.
Anyone else would've jumped in sooner: "Shouldn't we add more menu items? Wouldn't booze snacks for evenings be better?"
'No point shutting it down flat. He's the owner, after all.'
I didn't want the shop's hierarchy crumbling either.
The owner needs to hold the center for the place to run smoothly. I wouldn't be here forever, so snatching all decisions would just make it wobble every which way.
In the end, this was Lee In-cheol's shop. I was just sharing in some sales as payment for my advice.
What was needed was sincere persuasion, not steamrolling.
I pulled out the chair across from Lee In-cheol and sat. This would take a while.
"It's about those customers from earlier?"
"Not just this time. We used to sell booze with the gukbap anyway, remember? Not many, but our regulars would order a bowl and nurse a shot of soju—said it was the joy of their lives."
"......"
"I agreed to give you full authority, so when you said drop the booze, I went along.... But seeing those loyal folks who'd propped me up in tough times turn away empty-handed at the news? It stings."
I got where Lee In-cheol was coming from.
Regulars are treasures, especially at a struggling spot. All customers matter, but regulars hit different.
"With no one around, they'd drink with me, chat about life. Must've been a chore playing drinking buddy to stubborn old-timers with nothing but their ways left. But they never let it show...."
Lee In-cheol's gaze drifted, lost in old memories.
"That weighs on me too. Never heard of a gukbap joint without booze. Selling a bit alongside won't change much. What's wrong with offering drinks?"
I tapped the table with my fingertips. A habit when pondering.
I chose my words carefully, then spoke slowly.
"Owner, you've sold booze before—you know. The second you do, unimaginable chaos hits every evening."
"......"
"If you're doing booze right, you'd need bar snacks too."
"We sold stuff like green onion pancakes back then."
"Right. But the kitchen's too cramped for side dishes like that."
I glanced at the kitchen as I said it.
"It's small even now. The shop's tiny, so no helping it."
In my view, ideal was hall and kitchen split 50-50.
But realistically, that kills turnover, capping profits.
So most places go kitchen 1: hall 3.
This spot was similar, but with just five tables in the hall, the kitchen was pitiful.
"It worked before because crowds were thin. Think you could handle gukbap and pancakes at lunch rush?"
"......"
Lee In-cheol clamped his mouth shut.
Gukbap's low-effort among foods.
Tough brewing broth, sure, but once done, plates fly out quick.
Unified menu cut his workload even more.
'Still, no picnic.'
Of course not.
'Rookies panic when swarmed.'
Lee In-cheol had cooking chops but zilch in business XP. Single-menu orders stretched him thin—pancakes?
Absurd.
"...Tough, yeah."
He admitted his limits cleanly.
Unlike gukbap—slice meat, ladle broth, done—pancakes demand tons: prep ingredients, mix batter, fry.... In that shoebox kitchen? Brutal.
"Owner, remember what I said at the start? Shop's small, so profits mean maxing turnover."
"Urgh. Yeah."
"Ditching extras for single-menu, slashing prices to thin margins—all for that."
My philosophy boiled to "thin margins, high volume."
Fancy grub at premium prices? Chefs' game.
Not for hacks like me with no formal training.
"Food costs usually 27-28%. We pushed 30%. Why? Lines form that way."
"......"
"Selling standard at this price? Slim pickings."
My strategy nailed it so far. Peak lunch 12-2 aside, folks trickled in from 11 or post-2 for meals.
Planning a number ticket machine soon—or KakaoTalk waitlist alerts.
"...Lunch, sure, your call. But evenings? Booze boosts sales, no?"
Lee In-cheol dug in.
He was desperate for the shop too. I got it.
"Owner, mismatches our target crowd."
"Huh?"
"Turnover's the goal. Booze tanks it—folks linger chatting."
"True, but...."
"Tons of officetels and solo office workers around. Easier to grab dinner out than cook."
Clearer the target age/class, steadier the shop.
'Pre-regression, trial and error galore. Now? Blindfolded mastery.'
Classic office district. Lunch easy, dinner trickier.
Booze house? Go grill joint—lunch kimchi stew heavy on pork.
Targets afterwork light drinkers.
'But Lee In-cheol can't hack it.'
Ditch booze, targets shift: salaryfolk craving quiet dinner post-shift, homebound.
"Evenings, splitting 4-tops to 2-tops? For solo diners, no awkwardness."
"Oh...?"
"Bar tables by windows—what for?"
My aim from day one.
Lee In-cheol's eyes widened, jaw dropping.
"You, since when...!"
"Day one, obviously."
I shrugged; he went blank.
"Business basics."
He looked punched, mouth sour, mulling my words.
Lee In-cheol, as I knew, took truth straight—age be damned.
Why I picked this spot first.
"...You're right."
He nodded deeply.
"Turnover.... In this hole-in-wall, gotta max it. Yeah. Lunch packs 'em quick, evenings drag—that rushed me."
"No worries, Owner."
I grinned wide, on cue.
"Plenty of our three-month deal left, right?"
Half gone, sure.
"Ahem. True. Way better than before."
"Last month's sales?"
"Net profit TBD, but gross around 18 million won?"
From 3 million monthly, now 18 million. Sixfold in a month and a half. Feat.
'But 30 million wall? Dicey.'
Evenings need bolstering. I eyed Lee In-cheol.
"Owner."
"...Yeah?"
"Business fun?"
He tensed, leaning back warily.
"You staring like that scares me now, Woo-yeon."
"C'mon, Owner, between us?"
Grins hid the stare-down. He looked edgy; my mind was set.
I gripped his hand tight.
"Owner."
Grinned.
"Let's start takeout."
Workload doubled in that instant.