READ NOVEL ONLINE 12
“Specific contract terms…?”
Lee In-cheol muttered softly.
“Over the past three months, I believe I’ve sufficiently proven my abilities.”
Lee In-cheol nodded without hesitation. It wasn’t just about increasing sales tenfold.
From managing the store to handling customers, all the know-how I’d imparted was invaluable.
‘Before, I learned alongside the boss through shared experiences.’
It wasn’t mere sentimentality that drove me to endure all this effort.
I poured my heart into this place because I had chosen it as the starting point for
“Most restaurant owners dream of running three or four shops. In terms of profitability, that’s actually a pretty good choice.”
To exaggerate a bit, whether I run three shops or five, the net profit that lands in my pocket doesn’t differ much.
That’s because as the number of locations increases, you need managers to oversee each one. Even with experienced staff, it takes considerable effort to set up the environment to suit each location.
And that’s just the beginning.
It’s natural for once-diligent workers to grow lazy, and no matter how much equity or incentives you offer, expecting them to work with an owner’s mindset is unrealistic.
They do all the hard work, only to see the owner show up occasionally and take more than half the revenue. It’s bound to breed resentment.
Of course, you do find people who work with an owner’s mindset occasionally.
‘But most of them end up leaving to open their own places.’
Anyway, expecting someone who isn’t the real owner to have an owner’s mindset is absurd. I learned that lesson the hard way through past experiences.
So what’s the solution?
It’s simple. To make someone feel like “This is my shop” and have an owner’s mindset… make them the real owner.
In other words, turn them into franchise owners.
“I don’t intend to stop at just three or four shops.”
“…….”
“I want to franchise
I thought it might sound far-fetched, but Lee In-cheol’s gaze was more serious than I expected.
I continued, my face devoid of any humor.
“Uncle will be the first branch owner. After that, we can gradually expand with people who want to join the franchise. Since we’ve standardized the recipe, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“Song Woo-yeon.”
“Yes?”
“Was this your plan from the start? Ever since you suggested standardizing the recipe?”
“No.”
I answered with a gentle smile.
“From the very beginning. From the moment I told you I’d increase sales tenfold in three months, this was my intention.”
“Huh.”
Lee In-cheol let out a hollow laugh. He pressed his fingertips to his brow as if he had a headache, muttering.
“Usually, when someone says something this outrageous, it’s one of two things. Either it’s a huge success, or a complete disaster.”
How biting.
“If anyone else had said this nonsense to me, I’d have cursed them as con artists and kicked them out immediately.”
I knew those weren’t empty words. That’s exactly the kind of person Lee In-cheol was.
“But it’s strange…”
Lee In-cheol lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk.
“Song Woo-yeon, why does it sound plausible when you say it?”
“!”
“Franchise or whatever. I don’t really know or care about that. From the start, our condition was profit sharing…”
As expected. The three months of struggle together and proving my abilities had made a big difference.
“You’ll take a portion as royalties or something… What about the ingredients?”
“It’s difficult right now due to our small scale, but eventually we’ll distribute ingredients from our side. That’ll be more convenient for the franchisees too.”
“You talk as if you’ve been running franchises for decades.”
I felt a twinge of guilt at that. Lee In-cheol seemed to have just tossed out the comment casually, as he quickly changed the subject.
“Sometimes when I meet other restaurant owners, I overhear talk about franchises. If the ingredients are ridiculously expensive, I’ll just quit. You don’t seem like the type to do that, but it ruins the taste of the food.”
“Of course.”
You’ve hit the nail on the head.
In franchise businesses, the largest portion of profit actually comes from supplying ingredients.
Most places make their margin by supplying ingredients at prices higher than market rates, but…
I had no intention of doing that.
‘There’s a way to supply at below market prices while still making a margin at the company level.’
Well, that’s a concern for later, since we don’t even have an office or employees yet.
Lee In-cheol stared into space for a moment, as if doing some mental calculations, then nodded.
“From the name
“So you did notice.”
“You brat. Getting all puffed up just because I gave you a little praise.”
It’s true though!
“I have no complaints. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be wasting time in an empty shop.”
“Haha.”
“That’s my stance. Jong-chun might have a different opinion, so you two should discuss it well.”
Lee In-cheol said as he pushed his chair back. He stood up abruptly and turned as if heading to the kitchen.
Halfway there, he suddenly turned back and blurted out.
“Ah, but don’t fleece him too much! For my sake, at least.”
“I won’t~”
You worry too much.
I watched Lee In-cheol’s retreating figure for a moment before turning my gaze to Kim Jong-chun.
“So. What do you think?”
“…Ever since In-cheol told me, I’ve been considering profit sharing. I was thinking of setting up a shop similar to In-cheol’s. I hadn’t thought as far as using the exact same name and franchising… You think on a completely different level, Woo-yeon.”
His tone was a mix of admiration and slight self-reproach.
He doesn’t need to be so hard on himself. I may look like a green youngster on the outside, but my inner content is that of a seasoned veteran.
“In-cheol has already addressed all the concerns I had. And I’ve seen your abilities firsthand, so there’s nothing more to say.”
Kim Jong-chun nodded firmly, as if he’d made up his mind.
“I look forward to working with you, Woo-yeon.”
I glanced down at the hand he extended. Just like a salesman.
I grasped his hand and said,
“Likewise, I look forward to working with you.”
Up to this point, it’s been smooth sailing. We’re proceeding with a contract where there’s already mutual agreement to some extent.
Moreover, neither Lee In-cheol nor Kim Jong-chun likely know exactly how franchising works.
That’s not an issue since I have the experience.
The biggest hurdle is…
-Buzz buzz, buzz!
Kim Jong-chun’s phone, left on the table, vibrated intensely, signaling an incoming call.
“…….”
“…….”
A brief silence blanketed the table.
Yes. The real challenge was just beginning.
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Ding-dong-
“I’m home.”
As I greeted and opened the door, the already darkened living room came into view.
After finishing the evening service, closing up, and learning to cook, I usually got home around midnight. By the time I showered and went to bed, it would be 1 AM.
I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to go to work, so lately I hardly had time to see my family’s faces.
Getting home at 11 PM was quite rare these days. Kim Jong-chun thought to himself that his wife had every right to be angry.
“Mmm, you’re back?”
Kim Jong-chun’s wife, Park So-in, emerged with a face full of sleep. She must have gone to bed early.
“The kids?”
“In their rooms, of course. They’re busy. Said they had leftover academy homework for tomorrow.”
The resentment towards the children who didn’t come out to greet him was short-lived. Thinking that the kids were also caught up in their own affairs made him feel sympathetic.
As he put down his bag and changed clothes, Park So-in followed him inside.
“Seems like you’ve been busy lately.”
“…It’s always like this around this time.”
“You seem to be coming home later than last year. And leaving earlier in the morning.”
“…….”
Kim Jong-chun wasn’t particularly skilled at lying. He chose to keep his mouth shut rather than speak awkwardly.
“Take it easy.”
Fortunately, Park So-in didn’t seem to notice anything particularly strange.
While it was a relief to have passed this hurdle safely, today was truly the day to reveal the truth.
That’s why he had left the closing to Song Woo-yeon and Lee In-cheol and came home early.
“Um… honey.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“I have something to talk about for a moment.”
“What’s the matter?”
Park So-in walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Her face was still etched with fatigue.
Kim Jong-chun changed into his home clothes and sat beside Park So-in.
“Well, um… remember that colleague I mentioned before, In-cheol? You know, the one who quit his job to open a soup restaurant.”
“Ah~ I remember.”
“I heard news about him recently. Seems his soup restaurant is doing quite well. They say his sales exceed 30 million won.”
“Wow, really?”
Park So-in didn’t seem particularly impressed by the news. Kim Jong-chun felt his throat go dry for some reason.
“Isn’t that amazing? I should have quit with him when he left. He asked me to start the business together, you know.”
“What~ Are you having those thoughts? Work must be really tough. Well, it’s not like the company pays you 30 million won a month, right?”
“No, it’s not exactly that…”
Kim Jong-chun hesitated for a moment, then squeezed his eyes shut. There were words he had to say, even though they were hard to get out.
“What if I tried running a business?”
“…What are you saying all of a sudden?”
Park So-in seemed perplexed.
“Wait. Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t this too hasty? It seems like you’re just momentarily swayed after hearing about your colleague, but can just anyone run a business? What proper dish can you make besides ramen…!”
Park So-in’s voice grew increasingly agitated. She thought Kim Jong-chun was being foolish.
The gist of his wife’s words was something like this:
‘Does it make sense to quit a stable job?’
Finally, Kim Jong-chun revealed the truth.
“I was laid off.”
“……What?”
“I said, I was laid off.”
Tears streamed down his cheeks.