The Most Valuable Thing I Offer Is Reputation
As soon as Kim Seong-ho finished speaking, Jeong Byeong-ju approached the chef as if there was nothing left to regret.
"President Kim. Let's meet again next time."
The chef lifted his head and stared at Jeong Byeong-ju with startled eyes.
"You're just going to leave like this?"
"We want different things, so there's nothing to be done about it. Come on, get up."
Unable to believe the meeting was ending like this, the chef hurriedly thrust a hand toward Kim Seong-ho.
"Director. Then forty percent. No—thirty. Just give me thirty percent."
Kim Seong-ho, who had already turned away, looked back at the chef and spoke with a smile.
"You seem to be under a serious misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
The chef stared at him, completely lost.
Kim Seong-ho enunciated each word with deliberate clarity.
"Among the things we can offer you, equity is not one of them."
Having cut him off with absolute finality, he laid out what Ilhyeon Hotel could give to the speechless chef.
"What we can give you is a salary and a reputation. Nothing else."
"Isn't that... a bit much?"
The chef spoke with the wounded face of a man being robbed of something that was already his.
"I'm closing my restaurant to come here. And you're telling me I'll only get a salary with no stake?"
"You still don't understand."
Kim Seong-ho straightened in his seat. Then he leaned forward toward the half-risen chef and said,
"The most valuable thing I am offering you is not money. It is reputation. The title of Executive Chef of Ilhyeon Hotel. That is what I am giving you."
He settled back into his chair and regarded the frozen chef.
"You know better than anyone how important reputation is in a chef's world. And you keep talking as if closing your restaurant and coming here means swallowing some enormous loss—do you really think we don't know the financial state of your place?"
"Y-you... you knew that...?"
The chef's face tightened with tension. Kim Seong-ho let out a short laugh.
"I know full well that French restaurants don't make money. You didn't honestly think I wouldn't know that the more luxurious they are, the deeper they bleed, did you?"
"Ugh..."
The chef could only groan. On the surface it was a glittering establishment where reservations were required just to taste the high cuisine—but the reality behind the façade was entirely different. Places like his barely scraped by without losses, and the owner was lucky to take home a million won a month.
Kim Seong-ho held out a hand toward Jo Byeong-jin, who promptly passed him the contract he had prepared. Kim Seong-ho laid it on the table in front of the chef and tapped it with one finger.
"This is the contract appointing you as Executive Chef of Ilhyeon Hotel's new Western restaurant. Your treatment will be that of the finest chef in the country, and we will announce to every media outlet and outlet that you are the Executive Chef of the Ilhyeon Hotel restaurant."
As the explanation continued, the chef's gaze dropped to the contract. Kim Seong-ho pressed on.
"We've set a basic term of three years. If neither side has any major complaints after three years, it automatically renews for another two."
"And when the contract ends... what happens then?"
All of the earlier arrogance had vanished. The chef sat in his chair and listened carefully.
"When the contract ends, if either of us no longer wants to continue, we simply part ways cleanly. And you will be able to add 'former Executive Chef of Ilhyeon Hotel's Western restaurant' to your résumé."
"I'm allowed to do that?"
Kim Seong-ho smiled and nodded.
"That is exactly why I said I would give you a reputation. Executive Chef of Ilhyeon Hotel's Western restaurant. That title will become a major asset for the rest of your career as a chef."
"Hmm..."
Intrigued by the words, the chef's face clouded with thought. If Ilhyeon Hotel thrived the way Kim Seong-ho claimed, then having been its executive chef would indeed become a powerful credential for the rest of his life. Yet the decision did not come easily. Quite apart from the money, the reality of stepping down from owner-chef to salaried chef made the choice hard.
Watching the man's struggle, Kim Seong-ho instantly read the source of his hesitation and offered one more line.
"When the Michelin Guide eventually enters Korea, we intend to be the first to get listed, and we plan to spare no support so that you can earn the stars."
"You're planning to go for Michelin?"
"Isn't that obvious? If the Michelin Guide never comes here, that's one thing—but if it does, of course we challenge it and take three stars."
"Three stars..."
In front of the dream of every chef—Michelin three stars—pride meant nothing.
Kim Seong-ho leaned forward and laid out his full plan.
"I intend to collect three separate three-star ratings. Your Western restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, and a Japanese restaurant—my ultimate goal is for Ilhyeon Hotel to hold three Michelin three-star restaurants."
"Ah..."
The chef had never even imagined a single hotel possessing three three-star restaurants. And if that ever became reality, the reaction would be seismic; the thought flashed through his mind.
"As you know, the Michelin Guide is not only about outstanding food. Atmosphere and the service staff's hospitality matter as well. And the relationships with the critics who visit for evaluation—and with the Michelin company itself—are extremely important. You know that better than I do."
The chef nodded quietly.
"Of course I understand that no matter how thoroughly we prepare, we won't snatch three stars on the first try. We'll climb the ranks step by step. In the end our target is three stars... so what do you say? Isn't three stars more than enough reason to close what you have now and join us?"
At those words the chef immediately reached for the contract Kim Seong-ho had set down moments earlier. He pulled it toward himself, signed it on the spot, and said,
"You have to do exactly as you promised. Exactly."
"Don't worry. I want those Michelin three stars even more than you do."
Jo Byeong-jin finished organizing the contracts and clicked his tongue in amazement.
"What the hell is Michelin that everyone's going crazy over it?"
After the Western chef, the finest Japanese and Chinese chefs in the country had all closed their own kitchens without hesitation and agreed to come to Ilhyeon Hotel. Watching it unfold, Jo Byeong-jin turned to Kim Seong-ho with open curiosity.
Kim Seong-ho briefly explained what the Michelin Guide was. When he finished, Jo Byeong-jin spoke with rising excitement.
"So if we hold three of those highest three-star ratings, people will all come running to our hotel?"
"That's exactly what we have to make happen."
Jo Byeong-jin realized that if they succeeded, they could restore the fallen prestige of Ilhyeon Hotel. Yet right behind that hopeful thought came worry.
"But you said it hasn't even entered the country yet."
"That's right. And no one knows when it will..."
"Then isn't that a huge problem?"
The chefs themselves might welcome a few extra years of preparation time and not mind a delayed arrival. But for Ilhyeon Hotel—and for Kim Seong-ho—it was different. They needed results within a year, and the fact that the Michelin Guide had not yet come to Korea was a serious issue.
Looking at Jo Byeong-jin's newly clouded face, Kim Seong-ho smiled.
"Which is why I have a job for you starting now."
"A job for me?"
"Yes."
With the calm air of a man who had already factored even this situation into his plans, Kim Seong-ho began explaining to Jo Byeong-jin exactly what needed to be done next.
The hiring of both experienced staff and new recruits for Ilhyeon Hotel proceeded with remarkable speed. Veterans were put on the floor after one or two orientations; newcomers were paired with existing employees and given time to master their duties. Once the staffing was complete, the once-creaking hotel began running smoothly again in short order.
Guests who came out of curiosity to see a hotel finally functioning properly were startled by the changed atmosphere.
"Welcome, President Park."
The doorman opened the door and greeted the arriving guest. President Park of Bukjin Trading looked at the smiling doorman who had recognized him and asked,
"You know me?"
"Aren't you President Park of Bukjin Trading?"
"I am, but..."
President Park stared as if asking how the man could possibly know. The doorman gave a slight bow.
"President Park of Bukjin Trading visits our Ilhyeon Hotel so often that I naturally memorized the license plate of your car. That is why I greeted you first. If it made you uncomfortable, I will be more careful from now on."
"No, no. Who doesn't like a greeting?"
President Park made it clear he was not offended and regarded the doorman with fresh interest. Then he smiled.
"Being greeted like this puts me in a good mood."
"I don't know what business brings you to our hotel, but I hope everything you wish for is fulfilled."
"Hahaha. Yes, I hope so too. Thank you."
President Park of Bukjin Trading laughed heartily and entered Ilhyeon Hotel through the door the doorman held open. The moment he met President Choi of Sangmin Trading, who had arrived earlier, he launched into the story of the doorman.
"Choi. Listen—the doorman out front recognized me as the president of Bukjin Trading and greeted me! For a second I thought, is there really such a sharp fellow in the world?"
"He did the same to me."
"To you as well?"
"Not only me. They say the doormen have every regular VIP who comes to Ilhyeon Hotel completely memorized. License plates and all."
"Is that true?"
When President Park asked in astonishment, President Choi shared what he had heard.
"And that's not all. They fine-tune the service to match the reason each guest usually comes."
"Custom service? What does that mean?"
"If someone comes often for meals, they notify the restaurant in advance and hold a table. If someone holds frequent business meetings, they pre-set a quiet, conversation-friendly seat. That sort of thing."
"They go that far?"
"Do you think we're sitting here because I asked the coffee shop for this table myself?"
Only then did President Park realize they were seated deep inside the coffee shop, in a spot where they could speak at a slightly louder volume without worry. He also realized that the moment he walked through the hotel doors he had been guided here almost without noticing, and he clicked his tongue in amazement.
But the surprises were not over. Knowing that President Park was still unaware of how thoroughly Ilhyeon Hotel had changed, President Choi continued.
"It's not just the doormen who recognize us. The staff know us too."
President Choi raised a hand. A coffee-shop employee approached their table at once.
"Yes, President Choi. Is there something you need?"
"Do you know who this fellow in front of me is?"
President Choi pointed at President Park. The employee smiled as if the question were almost too obvious.
"Of course. How could I not know President Park of Bukjin Trading? He is one of our hotel's VIPs."
President Choi thanked him and ordered a drink. Once the employee left, he turned to President Park with a grin.
"Well? Impressive, isn't it?"
"Truly impressive."
"So? Are you starting to feel that Ilhyeon Hotel has completely changed?"
"It certainly has."
"Then let's go."
President Choi stood. Just then the employee returned with the drink. Choi told the man they were leaving and to enjoy the drink himself, then gestured to President Park.
"Go? Where?"
"The real face of the new Ilhyeon Hotel is in the restaurants."
"In the restaurants?"
"I managed to get a reservation with some difficulty just so you could taste it. So hurry up."
Muttering that the reservation might be canceled if they were late, President Choi left the coffee shop. President Park shook his head, wondering what could possibly be so special about a restaurant that it warranted such fuss, then followed. Yet once he had finished the meal and stepped back out of the restaurant, he understood President Choi completely.
Both men left Ilhyeon Hotel with happy faces, declaring it the most delicious food they had ever eaten. And the same scene repeated itself with guest after guest. Word spread, and every person of note in the Republic of Korea began making their way to Ilhyeon Hotel.