Chapter 322 – #71_Gehenna’s Host Bar (5)
#320
One.
The drink that Takasho was happy to serve was Toperignon.
Siwoo was able to confirm Takasho’s mad love for Dom Perignon once again.
Wearing white gloves, Takaso takes out the champagne from the ice bucket as if handling a teapot.
“As soon as I heard that you were helping me, I finished chilling to serve to Mr. Periwinkle. Because champagne bottles have to withstand carbonation, the glass is thicker than that of regular wines, so they require a long chilling time.”
Carefully wrap the bottle that has been cooled to a drinkable temperature with a white napkin and check the bottle.
“What I prepared is Dom Perignon 1973 P3 Plenitude Brut. It is a champagne that is highly regarded even among the legendary vintage line of the 70s.”
“If it’s like this, it’s another story.”
Siwoo saw Periwinkle’s eyes twinkle.
Actually Siwoo, I don’t know much about vintage or anything.
However, judging from the forceful appearance of the bottle and Periwinkle’s very, very satisfied reaction, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary high-class drink.
“I will open it.”
“Good good.”
Takasho raised the bottle to his chest with a soldier’s restrained motion, pointing his neck forward at an angle.
Then, with a blunt knife resembling a ceremonial sword, he sliced through the bottleneck.
Sabraju is an open method in which the bottleneck is cut off with the pressure generated by the bubbles inside the champagne and the force of the blade striking the lower part of the bottleneck.
– Pong!
Soft smoke with a light sound.
Periwinkle clapped her hands as the bottleneck flew away with the cork.
“Are you feeling good?”
“Thank you.”
Takasho covered the bottom of the bottle with one hand and a napkin with the other, and carefully poured it into Periwinkle and Shiu’s glasses.
A slightly heavier golden color than before.
It’s a bit strange to see carbonated bubbles that are still alive after 50 years of production.
“Now, you drink too.”
When the luxurious champagne glasses and lights were combined, it shone like the sea embracing the stars, creating a sense of luxury.
Periwinkle gladly raised the glass to Siu as well.
“Does this look too expensive for me to eat?”
“Is it? Madam How much is this?”
“Including the customs of Gehenna, it is about twenty-four pounds of gold. We are setting the selling price at £35.”
“Shouldn’t you feel treated like this?”
Siu’s mouth fell open.
How much is a gold coin because the prices of Gehenna operate in a structure completely different from that of the present world! It’s hard to just cut it out.
However, as a rough estimate during the slave life, one pound was about 840,000 won.
In other words, this champagne here means that the cost of bringing it into the store alone exceeds 20 million won.
If you add a margin, it will be close to 30 million won.
While Shiu was confused, Takasho continued to explain like a sommelier.
“First of all, the unique gun smoke flavor of Dom Perignon comes out sufficiently. It lacks the fruity scent of a rosé, but instead you’ll feel the nutty scent of toasted almonds and the creamy bubbles that cling to it.”
“You seem to have studied a lot?”
“Anyway, I think I need it to feel treated. We are also studying other hosts.”
“Good, good.”
Periwinkle put on a glass of champagne with a satisfied smile.
“I also really like the use. He would have been disappointed if he had been scratching things up like a moth. He’s a good friend.”
“How can you beat the abacus when you give such valuable advice?”
Even though Takasho is slowing down now, he seems to be a bastard.
If it was Siwoo, he would never have thought of giving such great treatment to a business that is already having a hard time.
Consulting started right away with champagne.
“Now then, where should I start looking at my hands? Let’s look at the ledger again.”
“Here it is.”
2.
“First, get rid of the entrance fee. As I explained before, you can also make them feel like they are divided into classes. Wine and Dom Perignon prepared according to the admission fee are provided free of charge.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Yes?”
Compared to Takasho, who meekly nodded, it was Siu who was surprised instead.
The ledger that Periwinkle was looking at was also looking at Siu.
It’s a basic award, but it’s not just soju or canned beer.
That alone was a product that was priced at such a high price of 1 pound 3 pounds.
“If the witches drink only basic alcohol without special orders, they will be in the red?”
“If you simply think about it, that would be it.”
Periwinkle crossed her arms with a meaningful expression on her face.
“Did I tell you? Witches and rich people all have their own arrogance? You’re taking advantage of that arrogance.”
The witches of Gehenna are usually wealthy.
Not to mention the witch who stays in Lenormand Town and visits the Malcoot Gallery for her leisure.
“Will that arrogant witch take a free drink and give it away? There are other witches watching it too? It undermines her self-dignity and her reputation.
Even if she had such a witch, people around her would frown and she would soon not be able to set foot in the karma again.”
“That’s right.”
“Oh hey, our cute Siu. It’s cute to understand when you have to explain from one to ten.”
Periwinkle pinched Siwoo’s cheek and added an explanation.
“Anyway, get a tip instead of the entrance fee. Make customers who have been ‘treated’ enough, rather than customers who ‘bought’ the service, hand over gold coins as a sign of satisfaction. That nuance difference is more important than you think.
The Dom Perignon lineup prepared by Madame is something of a high class to drink for money, but it is a drink that is secretly expensive to drink for free, right? To save face, I’ll give you a tip with a generous amount above the cost of the drink. Of course, if you guys entertained me enough.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“One more. Give more special meaning to the ‘gifts’ your customers order.
All sorts of cognac, whiskey, wine, brandy, etc., At the highest possible price with the middle class reduced, so that you can feel ‘I had a special drink today’ like the champagne you gave me a while ago. Right now, there are few types and stock is low.”
“What about middleweights who have already been prepared?”
“It will reduce the number of orders in the future, but keep it. However, if you leave too expensive products behind, it can leave an impression like, ‘Are these bastards determined to take their money out?’. It’s also important to give people a sense of luxury by leaving products that can be compared.”
Takasho, who had been diligently writing down Periwinkle’s words, put on a slightly puzzled expression.
“But it’s not easy for me to get all these high-end drinks. Leaving aside the money issue, the supply is very small compared to the demand.”
Takasho was not in a position to buy rare sake as much as he wanted, as he had a connection through Adonai Co., Ltd.
“Hmm, that’s it too. Then I’ll help you with that in particular. There are several companies that supplied alcohol to my hotel as well.”
“Are you sure?”
The eyes of Takasho, who had been showing reluctance, widened.
Again and again he bowed his head and thanked Periwinkle.
“Sure. You say you’re Siwoo’s best friend? I’m here because I have something to do, so I’m having a hard time right now. I’ll help you the next time you go out into the present world. Until then, what you have now will suffice.”
Periwinkle’s unsparing support fire makes Takasho’s face disappear.
In fact, he must have been quite stressed no matter how fine he pretended to be on the outside.
In other words, it was a situation where the life-and-death business was withering away.
Besides that, Periwinkle flipped through the ledger and pointed out this and that.
They also promised to introduce a vendor in Gehenna that gave a rough estimate of the type and price of alcohol to be ordered every month, as well as rental art for interior decoration.
“Consider holding events at reasonable intervals. The important thing is not to get bored easily.”
“We are considering that too.”
“It would be nice to issue a membership card once you get a seat. The fact that it is difficult to access gives the impression that it is special.”
“That I hadn’t even thought of. We will review it.”
“The margin ratio is too low compared to operating expenses.”
“You mean you already put a 40-50% margin on it?”
“Yeah, rather raise the price and give out the service, or change the interior decoration often to freshen up the atmosphere.”
After some business talk, three hours had already passed.
In short, the reason why Takasho’s business performance was lacking was because he approached it with a common people’s mind, and Periwinkle smoothed out that part.
“And the last question….”
It’s not yet if everything went smoothly.
There are still major problems with this host bar.
“How do you attract customers? Originally, Gehenna’s business should be based on word of mouth from her witch, but Madame missed her customer at the right time. Rather, by now, the bad reviews should be circulating.”
“Hmm….”
“Besides, isn’t the hydrangea garden in Changgwan and the large public bath a pioneer over 100 years old? It is difficult for a latecomer to catch up with considerable effort. Because we have to get regulars out.”
“All that remains is public relations.”
Periwinkle also sighed as if there was no sharp answer to this point.
“Advertising in the newspaper….”
“No. It’s too shallow. I forgot this, but get rid of the standing signboard outside.”
“Yep.”
Siwoo, who had been silently watching, stepped out.
In fact, that’s what I thought about when I heard about Takasho’s troubled situation.
I just asked for Periwinkle’s help because I needed a fundamental solution, but I had an idea of my own.
“Periwinkle-nim, would that be enough to promote publicity?”
“Uh? That’s right. I was here!”
Peri Winkle’s face turned red, and Takasho, who still didn’t know the exact situation, tilted his head.
“A bar where you can meet the first male witch… I can’t stand this.”
Siwoo is not just a celebrity.
As he has already experienced in Border Town, he is a Pied Piper who gathers witches just by walking.
Could there be a hotter and more stimulating propaganda in the Gehenna liquor store, which relies heavily on word of mouth?
Siwoo can’t even go out on the streets normally after rumors spread anyway.
A body that has been abandoned.
It is to be put to good use for a friend.
“I-I know that Siwoo is handsome, he’s good at serving customers, and he can use magic, but is he really that helpful?”
“I bet there’s no one more popular in Gehenna than Siu right now? At least if she’s a witch from Lenormand Town, she’ll come at least once.”
Is Takasho real? I looked at Siwoo with strange eyes.
“I didn’t want to do this either. Should I call this a blessing in disguise?”
“What the hell have you been doing….”
Periwinkle went into the final cleanup in front of Takasho, who was stunned and forgot how to speak for customer service.
“Then, it’s not enough tomorrow, let’s start the project to revive the host bar in earnest from the day after tomorrow.”
Finally, Periwinkle, who handed over tips on various details, left the store happily, adding a tip to the price of the champagne he was served today.
From that evening, Shiu was immediately instructed by Takasho on table manners, how to treat witches, simple common sense for easy conversation, and Gehenna current affairs for an educated conversation.
There were more detailed points than I thought, and it was serious.
“I absolutely have to memorize this.”
Just table manners, when putting ice in a glass, put the indented side to the side.
Keep your hands from going down the table.
When you set the glass down, hold it with your fingertips so that it doesn’t make a sound.
When pouring, do not point the opening toward the customer.
How to light a cigarette.
Etc.
It was a demanding and formal etiquette education.
Other than that, I heard simple tips on dealing with witches, but there was nothing very difficult for Siu except for table manners.
After living as a slave for 5 years in my own way, I knew at least the way witches thought and how to support them.
After spending most of the night and receiving special training for the day.
Finally, the time has come for the grand opening of Rose Glass, the only host bar in Gehenna.
