Chapter 117 Opening Business
Amid the sound of gongs and drums, Taohua Dessert opened grandly.
After Tong Huaqiong's promotion, the entire Yanguan Town and the surrounding villages knew that Taohua Dessert would offer a buy-one-get-one-free promotion on the opening day.
There were many customers on the opening day just because of the "free gift" gimmick.
Tong Huaqiong led everyone to be ready to give a warm welcome.
The shop has been newly renovated, with a spacious storefront, a clean counter, and rows of pastries that are appetizing at first glance.
In order to improve the layout of the store, Tong Huaqiong even asked her stepdaughter Gu Baishuang to get some colored glaze to use as a cover.
Wow, it’s not much different from modern pastry shops.
Pastries of various kinds are displayed on the counter, and you can see them clearly through the glass.
As the shopkeeper, Tong Huaqiong and his shop assistants were on high alert.
"Taohua, you are in charge of the reception today. Yue'e, Xiaocao and Qiaoyun are all under your charge." Tong Huaqiong ordered.
"Mom, don't worry."
Gu Taohua looked confident and had a lot of experience in serving customers.
She was very excited. Although the shop was under her mother's name, it was still named after her, Taohua.
Taohua Dessert finally has a shop.
No more standing on the roadside soliciting customers.
It's hot now, and in order to give customers a better experience, Tong Huaqiong put an ice basin in the shop, making the whole shop cool. This not only makes customers feel comfortable, but also makes Gu Taohua, who is afraid of heat, in a good mood.
"Yue'e, Xiaocao, Qiaoyun, the three of you need to be smarter and more enthusiastic. Remember, you must not argue with customers under any circumstances." Tong Huaqiong lectured the first batch of female waiters at Taohua Dessert.
Gu Xiaocao nodded. Her job was mainly to make snacks.
Gu Xiaocao originally came to Taohua Dessert to be a cook. Tong Huaqiong thought she had good qualifications, and the shop was in urgent need of a helper rather than a fire-making girl, so she gave her emergency training and let her take the job.
Liu Qiaoyun was pretty, cheerful and gentle. Tong Huaqiong thought she could suppress Liu Yue'e's excessive enthusiasm, so she hired her as a waitress.
"Don't worry, Aunt Tong."
Gu Xiaocao and Liu Qiaoyun assured in unison.
"Ma Huateng, don't make the wrong payment when you register, otherwise your wages will be deducted." Tong Huaqiong instructed Ma Huateng who was standing at the cashier counter.
Ma Huateng nodded and said, "I understand."
Ma Huateng felt that Aunt Tong was not keeping her word. She had originally agreed to let him only do the accounting, but now she asked him to collect the money.
But he didn't know what was going on. At the mobilization meeting before the opening, he was infected by Aunt Tong's passionate words, "You are not working for me, but fighting for your future and your dreams." His blood was boiling, and he would do anything asked of him at this moment.
I have to say that Tong Huaqiong, who paints a rosy picture for her employees, does have the aura of an Amway master.
"Dashu, Dahan, you have to maintain order outside. Dashu, especially you, you have to keep a close eye on it to prevent anyone from disrupting our business." Tong Huaqiong instructed her two sons.
She has said this countless times, and both of her sons can recite it.
Who should we be on guard against? Of course, we should be on guard against the Su Shi Garden and the shopkeeper Feng.
"Jingzhe, you have to cheer up. You are responsible for entertaining the aunts and ladies." Tong Huaqiong said to Gu Jingzhe.
Because Gu Jingzhe was too good-looking, Tong Huaqiong arranged him to be a waiter, mainly providing smiling service to aunts and ladies.
Gu Jingzhe wanted to die at first. He was a scholar and he didn’t rely on his looks to make a living.
Besides, the students in the private school love to join in the fun. They must have heard about the opening of the school today and came here. Seeing him, a student who was praised by the provincial education commissioner, selling things on the street, wouldn’t they laugh at him?
Gu Jingzhe wanted to cry but had no tears, but he didn't dare to show any expression. He had to pretend to be smiling like his second sister-in-law with eight teeth showing.
There was no other way. His mother had worked so hard to run such a big shop, and as a son, he should share the burden with her.
Isn’t it just smiling at the aunties and grandmas?
He just treats the aunts and grandmas as books full of knowledge.
These are all personnel arrangements of the store. For logistical support, she asked Liu Yue'e's brother and sister-in-law and Qin Qingyou to help. Liu Yue'e's sister-in-law, Mrs. Hu, cooked and boiled water for the store employees. Liu Shan and Qin Qingyou acted as security and helped customers who came in cars or sedan chairs to park their cars, get out of the sedan chairs, tie up donkeys and horses, etc. Anyway, they were all put to use.
Maner and Yaozu Tong Huaqiong were not spared either, and they dressed up like fairies, with their main function being to shout and praise their own pastries.
The oven is operated by her and Chen Sufen themselves.
The counter is filled with already baked snacks, and snacks baked fresh in the oven are also indispensable.
After all, who can resist the delicious, hot snacks that are fresh out of the oven?
Chen Sufen was busy in front of the oven.
As batch after batch of cakes came out of the oven, the entire Yanzhi Lane was shrouded in a rich aroma.
Gu Dahan lit the one thousand firecrackers sent by Huang Yuanwai, announcing the official opening of Taohua Dessert.
Huang Yuanwai, who was invited by Tong Huaqiong to unveil the plaque, dressed up and came to the Peach Blossom Dessert plaque with an excited and proud expression. In front of everyone, he and Tong Huaqiong took the red silk cloth on the plaque.
"Taohua Dessert is now open for business." Mr. Huang's voice was particularly loud, and he called Tong Huaqiong on the spot, "I wish Taohua Dessert a prosperous business and a lot of money."
"Thank you, Mr. Huang, for your support." Tong Huaqiong accepted it with a smile.
In an instant, Taohua Dessert was surrounded by customers.
None of the shouts Liu Yue'e had prepared were of any use.
Not to mention anything else, the owners and clerks of other shops in Yanzhi Lane all came to show their support. After all, when doing business, you'll see each other every day, and everyone will give some face to their neighbors.
What’s more, Taohua Dessert doesn’t consider them as its competitors. Taohua Dessert’s competitor is Sushiyuan.
Gu Dahan led everyone to line up.
Gu Dashu was serving food tastings and tea to everyone one by one. As the mother said, the customers are the fathers and they have to be served well. It was not easy for the big guys to line up in such hot weather, and the food tastings and tea soon attracted more people to line up.
Gu Dashu's workload became more difficult. He also had to keep a close eye on suspicious people in the team to prevent anyone from causing trouble on the opening day.
Especially people in Sushiyuan should be more careful.
It’s no wonder that Ma Ming, the owner of Sushiyuan, was quite generous and sent a gift to Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong accepted it.
Waves of customers came into the shop, and Taohua Dessert's novel business model whetted everyone's appetite.
It is a first in Yanguan Town where you can pick up a tray and choose the cakes you want.
After picking up the goods, they were sent to the weighing place. Gu Taohua weighed them skillfully, Gu Xiaocao packed them neatly, and Ma Huateng collected the money quickly on the side.
The whole process is done in one go.
Even in such a hot day, there is still ice cubes in the store, which really gives customers a great experience.
Customers who had already left the shop carried the snacks they had given as gifts and acted as human loudspeakers for Tong Huaqiong to promote her products along the street.
Those aunties and grandmas who like to pursue value for money were skeptical when they heard about the buy-get-one-free promotion, but when they saw that Tong Huaqiong was serious, they all lined up at Taohua Dessert.
Even those who were queuing at Sushiyuan got the news and followed suit and ran to Yanzhi Lane.
On the first day of Taohua Dessert’s opening, it attracted three quarters of the customers who bought cakes and pastries in Yanguan Town that day.