Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Xiyuan Branch (4/5)

"Zhenzhen, have you guys started booking for the Lunar New Year dinner? If not, our family might as well eat our New Year’s dinner here, I’m actually looking forward to it."

He Yiran had just casually thought about it, which is why she said it out loud. The He Family was no small clan, and there were too many members to fit in a single private room for the New Year’s dinner. But after speaking, she thought that it might actually be feasible. If there really was a New Year’s dinner option, once her grandfather got wind of it, they might really end up dining here. If the private rooms were too small, it didn’t matter; they could simply split into several rooms if necessary.

"New Year’s dinner? If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten about it." Mei Mengzhen took out a piece of paper from her bag and handed it to Fan Tianyu, "Brother Tianyu, see if this can work. Let’s set up the New Year’s Eve dinner menu based on this."

The paper Mei Mengzhen handed to Fan Tianyu contained her ideas for the restaurant’s New Year’s dinner. The "Gather and Celebrate" set menu for 6-10 people was priced at 3888 yuan, which was the most basic package suitable for the average family.

The "Great Fortune" set menu for 10-15 people was priced at 6888 yuan, suitable for families with more members.

The "Wealth and Prosperity" set menu for 15-20 people was priced at 8888 yuan. Big-ticket set menus like this one required more advanced bookings for the menu items, but since they were all booked in advance, no complications would arise. Naturally, it was also the choice for families with even more members.

As for worries about not having enough seats, they had already made arrangements.

In the past, the size of Xiyuan had seemed adequate, but while normally it sufficed, the private rooms became too small when more people arrived, such as during the New Year meal times, when standard packages could not be used. Yet, New Year’s was the prime time for earning money, and not making money during this period made her anxious. Thus, taking advantage of the rental availability across the street, the two of them decided to lease it after some deliberation.

The main entrance of the neighboring building was parallel to the entrance of Xiyuan, which made it close to the parking lot too. It was convenient to serve meals and make money there, so the previous decision not to add more private rooms was easily dismissed in favor of the financial gain.

But this building couldn’t compare in size to Xiyuan. The space they rented was a two-story building, where the second floor’s hall could fit two 20-person tables and still have room for two private rooms, each capable of accommodating around 15-20 people. The intention was clear: this place was to serve as an annex to Xiyuan, specifically catering to large private room receptions.

There was a staircase outside the building leading to the second floor, with larger private rooms on the left and a slightly smaller one on the right for 10-15 people, also providing four tables, with two of them in private rooms.

Since the private rooms were quite large and infrequently used, she arranged them all on the second floor, with other plans in store for the first floor.

Ever since arriving in Jiangcheng, no, ever since Xiyuan opened for business, another item in her space had seen less use.

Yes, it was the fruit.

After all, Xiyuan was a bona fide restaurant, with menu items mainly comprising dishes; it wasn’t like a Western restaurant that could offer appetizers or fruit salads. So, since their move from Xincheng, aside from making wine, the only other use for the fruits was consumption at home, which was minimal.

As the New Year approached, aside from dishes, the largest consumption would be of fruit, since during the New Year’s holidays, it’s customary to bring a box of fruit or a bottle of milk when visiting someone’s home. Therefore, when the New Year’s dinner came to mind, she naturally thought of fruit.

The fruit in her space only required her to harvest it using her thoughts, placed into crates, which could then be processed into gift boxes through the Spatial Mall’s functionality. Fruit gift boxes were popular items during the New Year holidays, offering her yet another revenue stream.

So, having another branch of Xiyuan not far from the original wasn’t a bad idea at all. The second floor was used for private rooms, while the first floor by the street sold fruits and housed a warehouse. The private rooms had a separate entrance, so it did not interfere with the other operations—this layout was very practical.

As for the fruit shop, it really was just about selling fruit. Fan Tianyu had already taken care of the sign, which was called Xiyuan Fruit Shop.

The fruit shop would offer gift boxes and would also sell individual fruits, just like before in Xincheng, where items were sold by the piece. However, since moving from Xincheng to Jiangcheng and opening a store, the pricing of the fruit would naturally be marked up by one, two, or even more times, because the same fruits were more expensive in Jiangcheng than in Xincheng. She ensured her prices were not outrageous and stayed within a reasonable range.

Making people aware of Xiyuan’s fruit quality and persuading them to purchase was also straightforward. With the fruit being newly marketed and the New Year approaching, everyone who booked a private room would receive a complimentary fruit platter from the next week up to New Year’s, when the restaurant would close. The offer would not extend into the new year, and this would be made clear to customers.

People who enjoyed the fruit would certainly want to buy more, and the question arose of where to purchase. Well, right next door upon exiting Xiyuan. Before you leave, simply take a portion with you; if you prefer not to go yourself, just let us know, and we’ll deliver it—it’s just next door after all, and running over isn’t much trouble for us.

That’s why setting up the fruit shop went exceptionally smoothly.

"Brother Tianyu, is the shop next door all set up?"

"Don’t worry, everything is arranged properly. The second floor doesn’t need much renovation, just some simple Xiyuan style elements. I have also set up dividers for the two tables in the middle of the hall; even if guests don’t know each other, it won’t matter. If they do know each other, we can simply remove the dividers. Overall, it’s quite convenient. As for the ground floor, I’ve built the counters as you requested. Despite the space being large, it can accommodate the wide variety of fruits. The adjacent space will definitely be used as a warehouse. I’m thinking it will still have some spare room, even with fruit storage. If there’s extra space, I’ll move some stuff over from here; we’re running out of space on this side."

"Just manage it as you see fit. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll have the goods delivered tomorrow."

"No worries, if tomorrow’s delivery can come through, the fruit shop could start trial operations."

While the two of them were engrossed in their discussion, the others were very curious about the taste of the fruits. He Yiran didn’t hold back, asking, "Zhenzhen, are the fruits delicious? Really good?"

"Yes, they’re fantastic," Fan Tianyu replied, then added, "I received some fruits this morning but haven’t had the chance to take them home yet. Let’s have you try some."

After speaking, Fan Tianyu stood up, left the private room, and came back pushing a cart filled with fruits.

Mei Mengzhen’s fruits were all selected based on taste. The Fan couple enjoyed fruits like watermelon and Hami melon; her brother loved grapes, so watermelon and grapes were definitely included. Fan Tianyu loved durian, and she would send him one or two every few days. The man couldn’t get enough; he always ate whatever she brought over and never said he had enough, so durian was also available.