The leisurely January passed without much surprise, and as soon as February arrived, everything seemed to pick up speed and become busy.
At the end of January, the renovation of Joy Soon Loy Restaurant was completely finished. Cheng Su led all the staff in a thorough cleaning, and after that, the furniture and stoves that had been prepared in advance were all moved in. Then, they did another round of cleaning inside and out, preparing for the opening.
The new restaurant has three floors; the first and second floors are halls, and the third floor consists of private rooms. However, the first floor, equipped with a reception desk and a seafood fish tank, is relatively narrower than the second floor. Despite this, the space is much larger than before, and thereās no problem fitting ten or eight tables.
The first floor also has two separate areas for the kitchen and pastry department, connected to the main hall, which is a significant upgrade compared to simply setting up a kitchen in the yard as before.
Cheng Su toured the new restaurant along with a few shareholders, and upon seeing the kitchen, she laughed and said to Old Song, "Youāll really have a place to show off your skills from now on."
Old Song smiled modestly and said, "Not at all, not at all. But this kitchen is really well designed, the counter is big, so even if we get a large banquet order, we wonāt have to worry about where to put the dishes."
Luh Kai, standing nearby, said, "Then Old Song, youāll have to create a few more signature dishes and make our Joy Soon Loy famous as soon as possible."
"Certainly, certainly."
Ning Ge, who often found Luh Kai annoying, folded his arms and said, "Luh Kai, donāt you know Joy Soon Loyās reputation is already well-established? Old Songās Buddha Jumps Over the Wall attracts lots of diners! Clearly, you donāt know enough about Joy Soon Loy!"
Faced with Ning Geās provocation, Luh Kai merely smiled and said, "Itās my mistake, Iāll make sure to thoroughly study the rise of Joy Soon Loy."
"Donāt listen to his nonsense; thereās no history, itās just a little restaurant started from scratch!" Cheng Su retorted.
"Still, thatās not easy." Luh Kai replied sincerely.
"Your flattery is quite loud," Ning Ge sneered.
Cheng Su warned him with a glare, but Luh Kai didnāt seem to care at all.
The group moved to the second floor, which can accommodate twenty to thirty large round tables in the hall, spacious and well-lit, with ceiling fans installed. They wonāt have to worry in summer.
On the third floor, there are ten large private rooms named after the twenty-four solar terms, with the most luxurious one equipped with soft leather sofas, making it quite high-end.
"For the staff on this floor, Iām planning to select those who are relatively smart. People who come to private rooms must be of higher status and more generous, and waiters who canāt read peopleās faces arenāt good waiters," Cheng Su said.
"Opening on the eighth, can they be trained in time?" Luh Kai asked.
"Weāve already selected a few candidates and will slowly rotate them in afterward," Cheng Su replied with a smile. "Current staff are also gradually being put in place, striving to have experienced workers on duty soon."
Luh Kai nodded: "Thank you for your hard work!"
Ning Ge heard this and glanced at him again, subtly positioning himself between them, and said to Cheng Su, "On the opening day, should we bring in some people to create an atmosphere?"
"This is also why I called all of you here today. Firstly, to tour the restaurant and see if thereās anything that needs improvement. Secondly, to discuss the opening procedures..." Cheng Su said, opening her notebook.
Luh Kai listened nearby, looking at Ning Ge, who gave him a warning look, leaving him feeling puzzled.
When he glanced at Cheng Su, Luh Kaiās eyes behind his golden glasses slightly narrowed, suddenly gaining some insight into where this animosity came from.
Could it be that he thinks I have an interest in Cheng Su?