Chapter 1853: Chain Of Consumer Value
Mag smiled and nodded. He was born in a tycoon’s family, so he still had that basic quality.
Such an excellent position plus an explosive marketing plan, and if they could get the best dish award after resting for six days, this octopus series would definitely become one of Chaos City’s specialty dishes.
Of course, this thinking was too idealized, and belittled the other vendors.
Although Robert was a little hesitant, eventually he agreed to Mag’s plan of taking part in the Delicacy Extravaganza for the next six days virtually. This innovative method of participation might bring some new changes to the Delicacy Extravaganza.
It was already 8 am when Mag and the ladies finished their preparation work. Robert gave a speech, and the Delicacy Extravaganza opened right on time.
The customers surged into the exhibition hall via all the various entrances. The main walkway, where the Mamy Restaurant’s booth was, had almost half of the human traffic.
“Woah, it’s Mamy Restaurant! Is that the very famous Mamy Restaurant?!”
“Errr… What are these scary-looking tentacles? Why do they take up the best position?!”
“40 copper coins for a helping of octopus balls, 50 copper coins for a helping of octopus sashimi! 100 copper coins for a helping of stir-fried octopus tentacles! 100 copper coins for a helping of stir-fried octopus in XO sauce[1]! Is this boss crazy for money!?”
“Look! The boss of Mamy Restaurant is going to publicize his recipes and conduct on-the-spot teaching! No way, I’m gonna stay here all day. It’s rare to have a chance to learn cooking from a top chef!”
“These maidens are all so pretty… slurp.”
Mamy Restaurant’s eye-catching display unit and beautiful service staff quickly attracted the attention of the customers who entered the exhibition hall. It even caused the walkway to be blocked at one point.
Fortunately, the walkway was wide enough, and the Food Association’s staff members helped to ease the traffic, and they managed to make the traffic flow again.
Robert couldn’t help but lament as he looked at the Mamy Restaurant’s booth. “Mamy Restaurant is indeed a famous brand. It’s swamped as soon as the Delicacy Extravaganza opens. This is the first ever in the Delicacy Extravaganza’s history.”
Mag was also a little shocked by the enthusiastic customers. Thousands of customers swamped the booth as soon as the exhibition opened. Some of them might have heard of Mamy Restaurant, while others were simply curious, and had a herd mentality.
“Today will be a tough battle. Everyone, please be mentally prepared,” Mag reminded the ladies while turning on the six stoves to preheat the woks.
Harrison squeezed to the very front of the crowd with his impressive tonnage, and smilingly ordered, “Boss Mag, I want two helpings of octopus balls, one helping of octopus tentacle sashimi, one helping of stir-fried octopus tentacles, and one helping of stir-fried octopus in XO sauce. Do they come with rice?”
“Yes. Today’s stir-fried dishes will come with a bowl of complimentary rice.” Mag nodded.
“Hehe. This is such a great benefit.” Harrison smiled brightly. He was extremely happy.
The customers around him all looked at him with suspicion. Wasn’t the rice always complimentary? Why did this fatty laugh so happily when he heard that the rice was complimentary? Perhaps he was an idiot? Or, a shill?
“I want one helping of octopus balls!”
“I want a helping of octopus balls too!”
“Mama, Mama, I want to eat those cute little balls too.”
After Harrison started the ball rolling for Mag, the customers behind him also began to place their orders. The high-definition pictures of the four dishes were put up above the booth, and they could be seen from afar. The cheap and adorable octopus balls became the dish that everyone tried out first.
“This…” Yabemiya felt overwhelmed when she looked at those customers who were all squeezing together, and placing their orders with a hand in the air. How was she going to take their orders?
Mag noticed that problem too. After all, these were not the Mamy Restaurant’s regular customers. They hadn’t been “baptized” by the rules of lining up. Although it looked lively when the customers all squeezed together, it was a headache for the vendors and some of the weak and frail customers.
Mag turned off the fire, and calmly said, “Take out the rules’ board and hang it up. Let’s set the rules first before doing our business.”
“Yes.” Yabemiya’s eyes lit up. Then, she brought out a standing sign, and hung it in front of the booth.
Everyone looked over when they saw Mag turn off the fire and bring out a standing sign. They saw the sign read, “Please line up for purchase with a 50 cm distance from the person in front of you. First come, first serve. Those who break the rules will not be entertained. Onlookers, please stand beyond the lining-up area.”
They were the first on the Delicacy Extravaganza to set up rules for the customers. The onlookers were even banned from getting too close. It caused an uproar instantly.
“This boss is quite arrogant. He actually sets up rules for his customers, and refuses service to those who break them. He really thinks very highly of himself.”
“Isn’t it so? The most important aspect of the Delicacy Extravaganza is its liveliness. This boss actually dares to chase his customers out just because he has a good spot. He really doesn’t know how to do business.”
“What’s that to see? I will go somewhere else. Doesn’t the roast pig from the Ducas Restaurant next door smell good too?
Immediately, many customers who were there for fun scolded Mag as they left. The surrounding people were reduced by half instantly.
“Tsk. He’s still too young. How can he chase his customers away? This boss doesn’t look like he knows how to run a business.” Alva from the Ducas Restaurant’s booth next door began to smile. Any experienced boss wouldn’t have done such an unfriendly thing.
All the bosses from the various booths were also looking at Mag with a mocking look. They had been worried that they would be crushed by Mamy Restaurant, but the Mamy Restaurant’s boss didn’t look too smart now.
Mag looked at the customers who remained behind, and curled his lips. He could see that many of them were housewives, and they were the ones who were the most likely to buy the octopus tentacles to bring home and the most enthusiastic to learn. They were his best target audience.
They didn’t have any advantage with their size and strength when it came to watching a show for fun.
Thus, the rules of lining up would give them a comfortable space to wait for their food and learn. Hence, it made them like Mag more.
As for those who were just there for fun, he didn’t care about them. They were just there to watch a good show no matter how many of them were there.
Judging from the chain of consumer value, their value was equal to zero. It was even worse than pet dogs.
The precious front row positions, of course, should be given to those valuable women.
“Dear customers, I am the chef of Mamy Restaurant, Mag. Thank you for coming to support us today. We can’t operate without rules. We can’t take orders and serve if there are no lines and order.
“Therefore, could all of you stand in a row of eight people and line up backwards with a 50 cm distance from the person in front of you? Please turn towards the exterior of the exhibition hall after you reach the evacuation point. Just continue to line up according to the sequence.
“I can promise all of you that we will take orders and serve according to the line’s sequence, so I wish all of you could obey the rules of lining up by yourselves,” Mag said to those customers who were still standing at the booth with a booming voice.
Soon, the messy crowd of customers in front of the booth began to line up according to Yabemiya and Shirley’s guidance. They formed eight lines, and extended out with a 50 cm distance in between. It was very orderly.
“Are the people actually willing to line up?!”
The bosses who were ready to serve the straddling customers stared with wide eyes when they saw that.
[1] XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce from Hong Kong with an umami flavor. It is commonly used in southern Chinese regions such as Guangdong. XO sauce is made of roughly chopped dried seafood, including dried scallops, fish, and shrimp, which are cooked with chili peppers, onions, and garlic.