C62
[Fixed Menu for Sale!]
I had to swallow my bitterness as I passed by the dessert shop imitating the fixed menu.
The master's words implied that the fixed menu strategy was easy to follow for both dogs and cows.
The fixed menu idea was quickly copied by competitors because it wasn't differentiated by taste or quality and didn't require a large amount of funds.
"I underestimated the traders here."
Realizing the benefits of the combo sales strategy, they decided to copy it, including dessert shops in the square in front of the Academy.
"All plagiarized things are annoying, but that's the most irritating."
While looking at the banner, the composition of the fixed menu was heavily promoted with a phrase that left a strange lingering effect.
<Naria>.
It was the best dessert shop in the West Gate square of the Academy, which had a powerful landmark called the Goddess Nayla's Fountain.
Naria, built in a privileged location, was also famous for being the place visited by many daughters of central officials of the imperial family.
Just by looking at the name Naria, whose pronunciation and nuances are similar to the name of the Goddess Nayla, I felt that the store owner had a sense of business.
The reason I avoided the commercial district in the West Gate was due to the real estate bubble, but there was also the reason for the competition in the square in front of the Goddess Nayla's Fountain.
For market research purposes, I went to Naria to check their menu and clicked my tongue slightly.
"When I ordered a set, this place offered more discounts than my store."
What's curious is that the dessert shops near Naria further lowered their prices.
"It's flowing in a strange direction."
Amidst this, something unexpected happened.
While doing market research in the dessert shops at the West Gate, I accidentally overheard this conversation.
"What's that banner in front of Naria?"
"That's just copying Armand! Armand promoted the fixed menu by hanging it first on a banner. Like a word puzzle."
"Armand. I think I've heard of it; it's located near the East Gate, right? How is it there? Is it delicious?"
"It's delicious. Be sure to try their whipped cream cake when you go there. It's a heavenly taste."
Interestingly, an established shop was playing a role in promoting my store.
Plagiarizing too explicitly is bound to backfire.
"You're working hard to play the chicken game."
Even better if the importance of taste and quality is reduced due to their prices.
"The fixed menu is just a small fraction of the cards I have."
It was starting.
The first card is the "New Menu."
After the store opening, the menu was tested through various tasting sessions, and marketability was thoroughly verified.
"I heard the reaction was very enthusiastic."
The timing was also right.
The weather was getting warmer.
Summers in the capital of the Azutea Empire, which has a Mediterranean climate, were hot and dry.
The humidity isn't high, so it enjoys pleasant weather, but the sun's rays are very hot, so it was time to unveil the menu.
[Special Limited Seasonal Drink]
Hello! Summer.
Have a sweet, fresh, and healthy summer at Armand with the Three Musketeers of Smoothies!
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"Bring me the blender."
"Yes!"
"Move faster, move faster!"
A burly pastry chef claps and charismatically dominates the kitchen.
Milo, a dessert master who once worked for the imperial family but was transferred to Maisond due to fierce political battles among imperial chefs.
This time, he was in charge of developing the menu for the new store in the Khorun district, Armand, and he was ecstatic about the recent tumultuous changes in the kitchen.
"Milo. You're one of Leticia's top players. You came because you said you wanted to be directly involved in developing the new dessert store menu."
The suspicious-looking woman, who appeared with the Maisond manager, had her face somberly covered with a robe, making it difficult to discern her identity.
Anyway, nobles only pretend to be decent on the outside, but it turns out they are full of quirks.
As he clicked his tongue, she began to produce a strange magical tool.
"Wait, what? What is that strange thing?"
After that, a new world unfolded.
Wiiiiing!
Along with the strange sound, all kinds of ingredients, including fruits, began to be crushed in no time.
It was a rather eerie and astonishing sight.
"The owner called it a blender. The price is quite high, so make sure the blades don't rust."
Another strange machine was the one with a whip hanging from it.
Milo was amazed to see the cream puff up like a cloud in an instant.
Before this, he had to stir it to death, causing muscle pain in his arms to make the cream, but that mixer spun on its own at an absurd speed.
"I called this a mixer that works well even on its own."
At first glance, the three magical tools provided seemed very useful.
"An employer who cares about kitchen facilities."
Nobles don't care about what happens among their servants.
They simply think of them as a tool to be carried out if they master it.
He was moved for some unknown reason.
Moreover, he couldn't even guess how much time he could save with these items in the future and how much it could improve dessert production and quality.
"This is a recipe I made. I hope you can adjust the amount of sugar and improve it to suit the customers' taste."
The recipe she left in an instant is called a "smoothie."
It was just ice and fruit blended with the blender, but it had a fresher and cooler taste than ice cream.
Furthermore, the top owner of Leticia, who shared the recipe, promised a significant bonus for every successful completion of the new menu development.
"It's been a while since I've been so motivated."
The reason he also resigned from the position of imperial pastry chef was that he was looking for money rather than honor.
Milo intensified his development to launch the smoothie with a more perfect flavor, and the Three Musketeers Smoothie was completed.
Milo described it as the cool angels of the dessert world.
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"What is a smoothie?"
"The image on the poster was very pretty."
It was when the ladies were conversing with curious expressions.
An employee dressed in clean and tidy attire entered with a drink on a tray.
He was wearing a white shirt and dark violet pants.
The shirt pocket had a badge in the shape of Armand's logo, so he was immediately recognized as a waiter from the store, and there was also a sense of professionalism.
"This is a smoothie, would you like to try it?"
The waiter smiled pleasantly and offered the tray.
"At Armand, we conduct a tasting of our new menu for our customers from 4 to 5. This summer drink is called a 'smoothie' made with fresh fruits."
Orange. Yellow. Green.
The drinks in the three colors were served in small glasses for tasting.
"Oh, it's actually the same color as the image drawn on the poster."
"The color is really nice."
"Please try all the samples. It's a healthy fruit drink."
At the employee's recommendation, the young ladies took the small glasses with curious faces and carefully tasted them.
"I guess this light green drink is made from green grapes."
"This orange drink is melon."
"The yellow one tastes like sweet peaches."
Suddenly, a phrase passed through their minds.
"Sweet peaches, OOO, and melon."
When presenting dessert menus with banners, these three seasonal fruit drinks seemed to be the reason why phrases resembling those from fruit stands suddenly appeared.
Originally, the ladies thought about having another glass, but they changed their minds.
There was already a sweet and refreshing taste in their mouths.
A drink that goes very well with summer.
The light flavor was tempting.
"I'd like to order a melon smoothie."
"...I'd like one of peach!"
Soon, the colorful drinks were served in tall glasses.
As soon as they drank it, the refreshing sensation washed over their entire bodies.
The ladies, who had fallen deeply in love with the smoothies, got up from their seats with very satisfied faces.
"It was delicious."
"I'd love to come back again. It's not even ice cream, but I've never tried a menu like this before."
Then, the eyes of the ladies passing by the door caught sight of a sign.
"Enjoy special events and benefits by joining Armand as a regular member during the new membership period!"
"Members 77, 111, 333, 555, 777, 1111 are the lucky ones of the Golden Star!"