99: Chapter 99 How Noodle Shops Market Themselves
"That will be 36 yuan total. WeChat or Alipay?"
The Beautiful Boss Lady was the ice queen type; there wasn't a trace of expression on her face. She casually placed the QR code on the table, and her tone was extremely cold.
Chen Hao blurted out without thinking,
"Miss, do you have a boyfriend?"
"No."
She answered crisply and very frankly.
Chen Hao continued,
"Since you don't have a boyfriend, then I plan to dine and dash!"
She froze on the spot, hands on her hips.
"Go to hell!"
She spewed a string of dialect, mostly curses, venting the dissatisfaction and resentment in her heart.
Sun Nana didn't interject either; she crossed her arms and stared at Chen Hao, watching how he planned to get out of this situation.
Chen Hao remained calm and unhurried, interrupting the Boss Lady's furious tirade.
"Don't curse first, just let me finish speaking."
She slammed the table and glared.
"If you don't have money, why eat noodles? Hurry up and scan the code. Don't waste my time."
Chen Hao was employing the same strategy he used to trick Zhang Menglu. He stood up and began his performance.
"Just listen to what I have to say first. It's not that I won't pay; I want to give you a choice."
She crossed her arms, wearing an impatient expression.
"Choice one: I'll give you a plan that will multiply your revenue dozens of times over, allowing you to earn over ten thousand daily."
"Choice two: I pay the 36 yuan, and we go our separate ways?"
She looked Chen Hao up and down and said dismissively,
"Based on you?"
With two options before her—daily revenue exceeding ten thousand or 36 yuan—anyone who wasn't a contrarian or an idiot would likely take the bait. She was no exception.
Chen Hao continued,
"Don't underestimate me. If you follow what I say, breaking ten thousand in daily revenue will absolutely not be a problem."
She remained very guarded.
"Why are you helping me?"
"I see your appearance is outstanding, like a fairy who descended to experience the hardships of the mortal world and taste the myriad states of being. That's why I plan to lend you a hand so you don't have to close down your shop."
Every woman loves to hear compliments. Chen Hao's words successfully made her lower her guard slightly, but not much.
"Let me hear it."
Her sense of wariness continued to decrease; at least a trace of expectation was mixed in with her impatience.
"First, I must point out that you opened your noodle shop inside a residential community. And what does community economy represent? High average check, high repurchase rate, and high return rate."
"But your noodle shop—while I was eating lunch, besides the two of us, there wasn't a single other customer. Do you know why?"
She didn't speak, just watched Chen Hao silently, her expression seeming to say, if I knew, my business wouldn't be this bad.
Chen Hao immediately followed up,
"If you trust me, today I will design a complete sales model for you, teaching you step-by-step how to run a noodle shop in a residential area, ensuring you sell at least 500 bowls of noodles a day."
"If you don't believe me, if you think I'm a fraud, I'll pay the 36 yuan and leave immediately."
Chen Hao gave her a choice again. Since she had taken the bait and wasn't a fool, she would definitely want to try.
"I choose to believe you."
"Great!"
Chen Hao walked over to Sun Nana and whispered something in her ear.
Sun Nana immediately took out her phone and started operating it.
Chen Hao then looked at the Beautiful Boss Lady, speaking as he walked,
"Is this your menu?"
Chen Hao picked up the menu and pointed as he spoke.
"You sell Pig's Trotter Noodles for 15 yuan a bowl, Beef Noodles for 18 yuan, and Three Delicacies Noodles for 25 yuan. I'm going to change the menu for you. Stop selling for ten-something and sell them for 199 yuan a bowl."
Her eyes immediately widened.
"Are you robbing me? Will anyone buy that?"
Chen Hao said confidently,
"Selling at 199 earns you dozens of times more profit than selling at fifteen or eighteen."
She countered,
"Of course I know that, but customers aren't stupid. They won't eat 199-yuan noodles. I could still sell a dozen bowls a day before, but with your design, I won't sell a single bowl!"
Chen Hao stated confidently,
"If I can't sell it, I'll eat excrement standing on my head."
Her expression seemed to ask, where do you get such confidence?
Chen Hao sat down with the menu, communicating with Sun Nana, and letting the Beautiful Boss Lady overhear.
"You help her remake a menu and add a 199-yuan Seafood Set Meal Noodles."
"Got it."
Sun Nana knew what strategy Chen Hao was using. Without another word, she took the menu and went out the door.
Chen Hao began to explain in detail.
"People have no standard for judging price. Therefore, when designing a menu, you need a reference point. This is called the magnetic attraction effect, or anchoring marketing."
She still felt some aversion.
"You've said so much, but there are still no customers."
"Don't rush. The midday peak hasn't passed yet."
Just then, a delivery arrived.
"Who ordered this?"
"Me!"
Chen Hao raised his hand and went out to receive the first batch of goods.
It was a cardboard box delivered from a wedding planning company, containing confetti cannons, red paper, and a large pile of balloons.
"Come on, exercise your lung capacity. Blow up all these balloons."
She was quite obedient and even called over a server to help blow up the balloons.
Chen Hao took the red paper and wrote several large characters:
Grand Opening Welcome! Big Surprise Giveaway!
Introducing the New 199 Yuan Seafood Noodles!
Free Membership Sign-up!
Free Soda!
When the Beautiful Boss Lady saw what Chen Hao had written, she exclaimed in surprise,
"Won't I lose money on this?"
Chen Hao, however, said confidently,
"If I lose even one cent, I'll pay you ten thousand!"
After speaking, he posted all the red paper outside, setting up a festive atmosphere.
When Sun Nana returned with the new menu, she also brought back some flower baskets, arranging them at the entrance.
The balloons were almost all inflated. Chen Hao told them to pile them all at the entrance and have the two women step on them.
"Bang bang bang!"
The balloons exploded, sounding like firecrackers echoing throughout the community, creating quite a stir.
Chen Hao twisted open the confetti cannon, releasing colorful streamers that added even more celebratory atmosphere to the noodle shop.
Because of the noise, all the residents in the community heard the sound and stuck their heads out, either curiously or suspiciously, to look around.
Seeing the noodle shop downstairs holding an event, their curiosity soared, and they rushed downstairs to watch the excitement.
Meanwhile, many office workers passed by the community. Seeing the noodle shop holding an event, they all curiously walked in.
Due to the herd effect, as long as there were customers in the noodle shop, the crowd grew larger and larger. Almost all the seats were filled.
The Boss Lady was busy serving customers. Chen Hao walked around with the menu, asking each person what kind of noodles they wanted.
When customers saw the 199-yuan Seafood Noodles, they all shook their heads and refused, ordering the 25-yuan Three Delicacies Noodles or the Pig's Trotter Noodles and Beef Noodles under 20 yuan. Almost no one chose the expensive option.
"The goods have arrived!"
Sun Nana greeted the movers as they carried box after box into the kitchen.
The Beautiful Boss Lady didn't know what they were doing and curiously went in to look. Chen Hao opened a cardboard box; inside were custom-made noodle bowls, all looking identical, but the bottom of each bowl inside was different.
Some read 'Free Boiled Egg,' some read 'Free Soda,' some read '20% Off.' There were over 30 different promotions in total.
Due to a shortage of staff, Chen Hao and Sun Nana washed dishes, telling the Boss Lady to go out and serve the customers, carrying noodles out in batches.