NOVEL NEXT 89
“The price of coffee includes the ‘seat value’ based on this turnover rate.”
Park Jun-su’s eyes widened. He had vaguely considered the cost of beans, but he had never calculated it in such detail.
“We call it ‘seat value,’ but essentially, it’s rent. Most cafes are located on the first floor of busy areas, which means higher monthly rent costs.”
I see.
Park Jun-su nodded slowly. Thinking about it this way, the previously vague concept of ‘seat value’ became clearer.
“In that sense, Song Cafe has drastically reduced this seat value.”
“Ah, because the store is small?”
“That’s part of it. Song Cafe is primarily a takeout-focused shop, so it has a smaller store size and fewer tables inside.”
Song Woo-yeon explained that future franchises would follow a similar model, with some variations depending on local market conditions.
“With a smaller store, we pay less rent, and focusing on takeout increases our turnover rate.”
This approach to lowering seat value allows them to sell coffee at lower prices while still making a profit.
“I see. So takeout-focused shops have that advantage.”
Park Jun-su looked slightly disappointed. The cafe he wanted to open in the future had a cozier atmosphere in mind.
He wanted to accommodate more in-store customers rather than focus on takeout.
‘It’s good that I asked about the know-how, but it doesn’t really apply to me.’
This thought must have shown on his face because Song Woo-yeon smiled and casually remarked, “Planning to open a cafe someday?”
“Huh? Ah… Haha, yes. If possible.”
“Even if it’s not a takeout-focused shop, there are quite a few ways to increase turnover rate.”
“Really?”
Song Woo-yeon nodded emphatically.
While it might seem unfamiliar now, these were strategies she had easily observed before her regression.
“The most common method is to make the seating uncomfortable.”
“What? The seating?”
“Cafe tables and chairs usually have set dimensions. There’s a sort of ‘universal rule’ for the size and height that people find comfortable.”
Previously, following this rule was the norm. The goal was to make customers feel as comfortable as possible.
But when considering turnover rate, the opposite should be true.
“Chairs without backrests, tables that are too low compared to the chairs, or bar-style high chairs with regular height tables. These kinds of discomforts will make customers finish their business quickly and leave, right?”
“Ah…!”
“If you’re thinking about an independent cafe, this method is the most efficient.”
Of course, there might be some complaints from customers about the uncomfortable seating.
You’d have to accept that to some extent. Despite that, you’d need to have other attractive features to keep customers coming.
“Isn’t that a bit harsh?”
Seeing Park Jun-su’s crestfallen expression, Song Woo-yeon offered another alternative.
“If you don’t like that idea, you could try changing the ice.”
“The ice?”
“You know those scenes in movies where people drink whiskey? What kind of ice do they use?”
“Ah! I know. They use those round ice balls, right?”
Park Jun-su gestured to illustrate a sphere.
“Exactly. That’s because that shape of ice lasts the longest. It’s used to maintain the cold temperature without diluting the whiskey’s flavor.”
“Aha~”
“So what if we did the opposite?”
Park Jun-su tilted his head in confusion. The opposite? He wasn’t sure what that meant, but Song Woo-yeon continued with a grin.
“If we use crushed ice, it’ll melt faster, right?”
“Ah!”
“And if a customer has a habit of crunching on ice, they’ll finish their drink even quicker.”
“I see….”
Park Jun-su looked at Song Woo-yeon with admiration in his eyes.
He realized that her success in business wasn’t just luck; she was a brilliant strategist.
Song Woo-yeon seemed to know things that even Park Jun-su, who had worked in cafes multiple times, wasn’t aware of.
“You’re amazing. How do you know all this?”
Song Woo-yeon laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her head at Park Jun-su’s question. She couldn’t exactly say that she had run a cafe franchise business before her regression and had studied these things in depth.
“Oh, you know, just bits and pieces I’ve picked up… Haha.”
Park Jun-su looked at her with even more respect.
‘This person must be a business genius!’
If Song Woo-yeon had known what Park Jun-su was thinking, she would have been shocked.
“Of course, that’s not the only reason for Song Cafe’s low prices.”
“There’s more?”
“Yes. We’ve adopted a strategy from Costco. Do you know what that is?”
“Costco…?”
The name was a bit unfamiliar to Park Jun-su. Wasn’t it that American wholesale warehouse with only a few locations in Korea?
Why was she suddenly mentioning that?
What did it have to do with cafes?
“I think I’ve heard that Costco pizza is cheap and delicious, but I’ve never been there myself, so I’m not sure.”
“Haha. Have you ever seen a Costco advertisement?”
Park Jun-su thought for a moment before answering.
“I don’t think so. But since it’s such a famous company in America, maybe they didn’t need to advertise in Korea?”
“That could be part of it. But instead of spending a lot on advertising, Costco chose a different strategy.”
This was now quite a famous anecdote. Costco doesn’t even have a dedicated PR team and spends almost nothing on advertising.
“They sell products at low prices.”
“…Pardon?”
“If you sell at the lowest price, customers will come without any advertising.”
Park Jun-su looked bewildered. But surprisingly, it was true. After all, low prices are a stronger competitive advantage than anything else.
“In fact, Song Cafe isn’t planning any special promotions beyond the 100 free drinks we’re offering today for the main branch opening.”
“Huh?”
“By cutting advertising costs, we can sell coffee even cheaper.”
And that…
Will be Song Cafe’s greatest weapon.
Song Woo-yeon grinned, confident in this assertion.
Park Jun-su was now staring at Song Woo-yeon with a dazed expression. Just then, Jo I-ruk, who had finished his phone call, opened the door and poked his head in.
Tok tok.
He tapped on the glass wall, politely calling for Song Woo-yeon’s attention.
“Boss. It’s time to go.”
“I’ll be right there, Team Leader Jo.”
Song Woo-yeon gave Park Jun-su a subtle smile and patted his shoulder.
“See you next time.”
“Ah. Yes, of course!”
“Manager Yu, if you need anything, feel free to ask.”
As she looked towards Yu Sol, Jo I-ruk urged Song Woo-yeon once more.
“CEO Song.”
“I’m coming!”
So impatient.
Song Woo-yeon muttered under her breath before winking.
“I’ll be in touch~”
“Take care.”
And with that, Song Woo-yeon hurried out of the store.
“…Wow.”
Park Jun-su couldn’t help but let out an exclamation. What had just happened felt like a dream.
“I told you.”
Yu Sol said with a long sigh.
“It’s hard to tell if she’s the boss or just another part-timer….”
“Y-yeah. She’s much kinder and more approachable than I expected.”
“Right?”
Yu Sol shrugged.
“But be careful. She might seem like that usually, but if there’s even a slight problem with the store’s hygiene, she turns scary in an instant.”
“Eep!”
“Speaking of which, shall we finish the cleanup we were doing?”
Yu Sol looked around at the part-timers who had gradually abandoned their tasks to watch Song Woo-yeon.
“Let’s hurry. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
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Tak.
After closing the store door and turning around, Song Woo-yeon found Jo I-ruk staring at her.
“What?”
“…Nothing. It seems Song Cafe’s first day has gone smoothly.”
“Yes. From what I can see, we shouldn’t have to worry for a while.”
The menu items were actually things she had been considering for a long time, so their quality was quite high.
Come to think of it, this might be the brand she had prepared the longest among all the ones she had launched so far.
“Oh, right. Did you tell them to test different opening hours for the first week?”
“Yes. I informed Manager Yu.”
“Good. I almost forgot to mention that when I went inside.”
We talked about so many other things.
“Of course, we’ve already done most of the market research, but it’s still good to test different hours for the first week or so. Open at 8 AM one day, 10 AM another. Close at 7 PM sometimes, 11 PM other times. It’s best to observe the customer numbers during these tests.”
“Yes. I believe Manager Yu will conduct appropriate tests to determine the optimal operating hours.”
Yu Sol seems to be quite competent at her job.
It might be a good idea to bring her to the head office as a franchise manager after she’s worked as a manager at a few franchise locations.
“By the way, where are we going now?”
“As I mentioned before, there’s a branch that has received two warnings from our undercover inspections.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Most locations passed without issues, but one place….”
Jo I-ruk trailed off, pressing his lips together. What’s going on?
“I think it would be better if you saw it for yourself.”
“Alright. Though I doubt anything will change just because I say something. Where’s the car?”
“You won’t need a car.”
“What?”
What on earth did he mean by that? No need for a car? Were they going to walk or something?
Completely baffled, Song Woo-yeon stared at Jo I-ruk, who averted his gaze and said:
“…Because it’s within walking distance.”
“Team Leader Jo, I really don’t understand what you’re trying to say….”
She stopped mid-sentence.
A chill ran down her spine, and an ominous feeling flashed through her mind.
“…Don’t tell me.”
“Yes. It’s probably exactly what you’re thinking.”
Jo I-ruk continued with a grave expression.
“The franchise owner who received two warnings from our undercover inspections and showed no signs of improvement despite them. It’s someone you know well, Boss.”
A very familiar name, yet one she hadn’t heard in a while, came from Jo I-ruk’s lips.
“It’s Franchise Owner Kim Jong-chun.”
Kuung.
Song Woo-yeon felt her heart sink.