The scene was very lively on the opening day of the Nanjing branch.

In the morning, the store entrance was decorated with festive atmosphere, with a red banner hanging high, which read "Wang's All Series Hotel Nanjing Branch Opens with Great Congratulations".

There are two rows of flower baskets at the entrance of the store. The flowers are gorgeous and fragrant. These flower baskets are congratulations from the Sijiucheng headquarters and local partners and friends in Nanjing.

The sound of firecrackers crackled, attracting many NJ citizens to watch.

People gathered at the door of the store, looking around curiously.

Inside the store, the waiters are dressed in uniforms and have warm smiles on their faces. They stand in two neat rows to greet every customer. In the kitchen, the chefs are also in high spirits, preparing to receive the first batch of orders after the opening.

Sha Zhu, Chen Xiaoyang and Ma Hua were busy in the kitchen. Although they were a little nervous, they were more excited. They knew that today was the day to test the results of their hard work. Qin Huairu was directing the waiters in the front hall to ensure that every step was done correctly.

As the first customer entered, the atmosphere in the store became more lively. Customers were attracted by the decoration style of the store. The antique decorations were integrated with the local cultural elements of Nanjing, making people feel both friendly and novel. The waiters enthusiastically guided the customers to their seats, handed over the menus, and introduced the special dishes in detail.

"This Jinling Seafood Stew is the specialty of our restaurant. It uses fresh local seafood from Nanjing and is carefully cooked by our chef. It tastes very delicious." The waiter introduced to the customer with a smile.

Customers looked at the menu and listened to the waiter's introduction, their eyes full of anticipation. As the dishes were served, the restaurant was filled with tempting aromas. Customers tasted the dishes and showed satisfied expressions.

"Well, this tastes really good. It has both the local flavor of Nanjing and unique innovation," praised a customer.

"Yes, the service is also very thoughtful. This restaurant is very unique." Another customer agreed.

On the opening day, the Nanjing branch was extremely popular. Customers came in an endless stream, and the seats in the store were quickly filled, with many customers queuing at the door.

This lively scene lasted until late at night, and the Nanjing branch had a good start.

The opening of the Nanjing branch of Wang's full range of hotels marks another solid step forward in the hotel's national expansion.

In the early days of its opening, the Nanjing branch encountered some minor problems.

Despite a lot of preparatory work done in the early stages, the reality still brought them considerable challenges.

Some customers are not used to the newly adjusted taste of the dishes and believe that the original characteristics of Wang's full range of restaurants have been lost.

Most of these customers came here because they had heard of the reputation of Wang's full-line restaurants in other places and had their own expectations for the restaurant's original food flavors.

When they tasted the dishes that had been adjusted to incorporate local Nanjing flavors, they felt a little unfamiliar.

For example, the signature stew of Wang's All-Season Restaurant was flavored sweeter in Nanjing to cater to local tastes, which made old customers who were used to the original flavor feel a little awkward.

They felt that although the dish had Nanjing characteristics, it had lost the unique taste that made them keep savoring it, and it was no longer the taste of Wang's Full-line Restaurant in their memory.

Some customers also think that the price is still a bit high.

In the 1980s, although the economy of Nanjing was gradually developing, the consumption level of citizens was still limited.

Due to Wang's full range of restaurants' strict requirements on food quality, unique cooking techniques and high-quality services, the prices of dishes are relatively high compared to some ordinary local restaurants.

For some ordinary families and low- and middle-income groups, dining here is a considerable expense.

After learning about these situations, Wang Jianye realized the seriousness of the problem and once again convened team members to discuss countermeasures.

"We can't lose our own characteristics just to cater to local tastes. We have to find a balance."

Wang Jianye said seriously, his eyes revealing determination, which shows that he wants to maintain the unique charm of the restaurant while making Nanjing customers accept and love the dishes here.

Sha Zhu suggested: "We can add some customer feedback columns on the menu and let customers write down their ideas so that we can make timely adjustments."

Shazhu's idea is very practical. He realizes that customer opinions are the most direct and valuable source of information.

In this way, the restaurant can gain in-depth insights into the specific thoughts of customers, such as whether they think a dish is too sweet, or the spicy taste of a dish is too lost, or whether they have unique opinions on innovative combinations of dishes.

This feedback can help chefs fine-tune the taste of dishes and find the best balance between retaining the restaurant's characteristics and catering to local tastes.

Chen Xiaoyang suggested: "In terms of price, we can launch some special dishes and set meals to attract more customers at different consumption levels."

Chen Xiaoyang understands that price is an important factor influencing customer choices.

Special dishes can be selected from some dishes that are relatively low in cost but can still reflect the characteristics of the restaurant, attracting price-sensitive customers to try them at a lower price.

The design of the set meal is more strategic. Dishes can be combined together according to different numbers of people and consumption scenarios. This allows customers to taste a variety of dishes while giving them certain discounts on the total price, thus meeting the needs of different consumption levels such as family gatherings and friends' get-togethers.

With the implementation of these adjustment measures, the operating conditions of the Nanjing branch gradually improved.

After adding a customer feedback column to the menu, the chefs and managers will carefully check the customers' messages after closing every day.

They found that many customers made specific suggestions for adjusting the taste of certain dishes. For example, one customer suggested reducing the amount of a certain seasoning in a seafood dish to highlight the freshness of the seafood itself.

The chefs made detailed adjustments to the dishes based on this feedback.

At the same time, customers see that their opinions are valued, which increases their favorability towards the hotel.

The introduction of special dishes and set menus has also achieved good results. Special dishes have attracted many customers who were originally deterred by the price to come into the restaurant.

After tasting the special dishes of all Wang's restaurants, their impression of the restaurants has changed greatly. The set meals meet the needs of different customer groups.

Family customers can choose the family package, which allows adults to taste their favorite dishes while also having dishes that suit the children's tastes; customers who are gathering with friends can choose the multi-person package, which is very cost-effective.

As customer satisfaction increased, customers began to accept and love the dishes and services of Wang's All-inclusive Restaurant, and the business became more and more prosperous. The flow of customers in the store gradually increased, and customers who originally thought that the dishes had lost their characteristics found that the adjusted dishes not only retained the unique flavor of Wang's All-inclusive Restaurant, but also cleverly incorporated the local taste characteristics of Nanjing, making them more delicious.

As for price, the existence of special dishes and set menus makes them feel that dining here is more affordable.

Word of mouth gradually spread, and the Nanjing branch gradually gained a foothold in Nanjing's catering market.

……

As the scale of expansion continued to grow, management difficulties gradually surfaced like reefs hidden in the dark, bringing numerous obstacles to the development of the hotel.

Although the branches in various cities all follow the management system of the headquarters, some deviations occur in the implementation process due to geographical differences and the different cultural backgrounds of local employees.

For example, in the Nanjing branch, the local employees have a relatively slow pace of life, and they are somewhat uncomfortable with the efficient and compact service processes required by the headquarters.

In some branches in the north, the employees' straightforward personalities may cause them to neglect service details, failing to meet the headquarters' requirements for refined service.

When it comes to dishes, the differences are even more obvious.

The eating habits and taste preferences of different regions have caused great interference to the implementation of menu standards.

In branches in coastal cities, the abundant local seafood resources may cause some chefs to follow local traditional practices when preparing seafood dishes, deviating from the unified cooking process and seasoning standards stipulated by the headquarters.

In inland cities, some chefs may replace ingredients without authorization because it is difficult to obtain certain specific ingredients. Although this is to a certain extent adapted to local conditions, it destroys the original taste and characteristics of the dishes.

The service quality in some branches has declined, and the warm and attentive attitude has become perfunctory during busy periods.

Customers no longer feel a heartfelt welcome when they walk in, and during the ordering process, the waiters no longer introduce the characteristics of the dishes and recommend dishes in detail as before. The speed of serving food is sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and there is no previous sense of rhythm.

The standards of the dishes were not strictly enforced, the taste of the dishes became uneven, and the presentation of the dishes lost its due refinement.

These problems led to a gradual decline in customer satisfaction and an increase in customer complaints, which damaged the brand image of all Wang's hotels.

Wang Jianye realized that a more flexible and effective remote management system must be established to solve the problems arising from expansion.

He knew very well that if these problems were allowed to continue, the brand reputation he had worked so hard to build would be destroyed.

He decided to regularly send managers from the headquarters to various branches for inspection and guidance. These managers were elites who had been trained at the headquarters for many years and had a deep understanding of the hotel's business philosophy, management system, and service and food standards.

When they arrive at a branch, they will conduct an unannounced visit as a customer to personally experience the branch's service and food quality. Then, they will reveal their identities and conduct a comprehensive and detailed inspection of the branch.

From the employees' attire and etiquette to every aspect of the service process; from the procurement and storage of ingredients to every step in the preparation of dishes, they will conduct strict inspections.

Once a problem is discovered, we will immediately communicate with the management of the local branch and make corrections.

At the same time, Wang Jianye also stressed the need to strengthen communication and training with local branch management.

Communication is a two-way process. The headquarters needs to understand the actual local situation, and local branches also need to have a deep understanding of the headquarters' strategic intentions.

Therefore, he established a regular communication meeting system, which enabled the headquarters and branch management to exchange information, share experiences and solve problems in a timely manner through telephone conferences or on-site meetings.

In terms of training, we have developed a variety of training contents based on the characteristics of different regions. For service awareness training, we will combine the local cultural characteristics to let employees understand how to provide services that meet the standards of all Wang's hotels while respecting local culture.

For example, in some areas that place more emphasis on personal relationships, the training content will emphasize how to establish a closer relationship with customers while providing enthusiastic service without losing professionalism.

In addition to emphasizing the standard procedures of the headquarters, training on dish preparation also teaches chefs how to make fine adjustments based on the characteristics of local ingredients to ensure that the dishes meet the standards and reflect the local flavor.

With the gradual implementation of these measures, the operating conditions of various branches began to improve to a certain extent.

However, new challenges have quietly arrived. As the number of branches continues to increase, the pressure of staff recruitment and training is also increasing.

The talent market conditions vary from city to city. In some places, it is difficult to find qualified professional catering talents, and training new employees requires a lot of time and energy. This has resulted in some branches being understaffed or employees with uneven business capabilities.

In order to solve this problem, Wang Jianye decided to establish a talent training base locally.

Cooperate with local vocational schools or training institutions to offer catering courses specifically tailored to the needs of all Wang’s hotels.

These courses include basic catering service skills and food preparation techniques, and also incorporate the corporate culture and special service and food standards of all Wang's hotels.

In this way, a steady supply of professional talent can be provided to the branches, and a good talent reserve pool can be formed locally in case of emergency.

In addition, in terms of food supply, as branches spread all over the place, centralized purchasing becomes more difficult, while decentralized purchasing makes it difficult to ensure the quality and cost control of food.

As a result, all Wang’s restaurants began to establish regional food supply centers.

Different regions are divided according to the geographical environment and distribution of food resources. A supply center is established in each region to integrate local food resources, unify procurement standards, and conduct centralized procurement and distribution.

This not only ensures the quality and supply stability of the ingredients, but also reduces procurement costs to a certain extent.

In the process of constantly responding to these challenges, Wang's entire chain of hotels has gradually improved its management system and steadily moved towards a national restaurant chain brand.

They understand that every difficulty is an opportunity for growth, and only by constantly adapting to market changes and flexibly adjusting management strategies can they remain invincible in the highly competitive catering industry.

……

...(End of chapter)