Chapter 272 - Strange?

"What is the paper you are holding, Miss Sofia?" Jing Jing asked after the young lady sat on the mini sofa.

"This is the list of prices for our dining," Sofia said and moved the paper to Jing Jing.

Hearing that it was the set of prices for their business, Jing Jing excitedly grasped the paper and looked at it. "Strange, why are the prices are for tables?" she immediately asked after reading.

"We will be operating differently. Restaurants charged their customers for the food. But we will charge by tables in an hourly manner," Sofia easily replied.

Jing Jing looked on the floor and blinked her eyes. She leaned forward and gather her hand to rub her palms a few times. She could not help but doubt if she had heard Sofia's response correctly. 

How could a dining business charge its patrons by the tables that they are using? Isn't food the main product of dining? People should come to their establishment to eat and not to sit! This kind of operation, she had never heard it before!

"T-the customers will pay for the table?" Jing Jing finally repeated.

"Yes, however, it is on an hourly basis. Sister Jing, this arrangement is unique. You must be shocked?" Sofia smiled.

"I don't know. I have never doubted your plans, Miss Sofia. But, this one, I... I thought that we will be selling food! Why would we charge the tables instead? What about the food?" Jing Jing worriedly stated.

"The food is free. They will pay the table depending on how many seaters they want to use," Sofia gave her a knowing smile. But Jing Jing's eyebrows had turned into one line out of confusion.

"The food is free?! What kind of business gives free food and charge table? Miss Sofia, perhaps, everyone will laugh at us if you will really operate this way!" Jing Jing expressed. The crease in her forehead had gone deeper as she spoke in a pleading tone.

In her mind, this young teen that she had admired would really become the laughingstock in district 7! She had almost exclaimed and criticized that the idea was total nonsense!

"I don't think people will laugh at us, sister Jing. We are just running a business in a legal way. There is no silly thing about our business," Sofia said in an innocent tone.

"Even if the business is legal, but, this free food... this list of prizes for tables... this is very strange!" Jing Jing could only use the word strange as she does not want to hurt Sofia's feelings. She had almost used the word nonsense! 

"Strange is good. It will stimulate curiosity and people will surely want to try our unique dining," Sofia whispered.

"Miss Sofia, what good is their curiosity to our business?" Jing Jing sighed. 'Ahh... just as I was so excited for the operation of the business, never did I expect to be turn out this way!' she secretly lamented.

"It's pretty good! Here, let me explain how we will operate the dining by charging tables on an hourly basis and maximize our income," Sofia took her laptop and opened her social media account. 

"Hehe, I'm really too inexperienced. You have to excuse my ignorance, Miss Sofia," Jing Jing awkwardly mumbled and tried to calm herself. Despite her breakdown, Sofia had maintained an unbothered expression on her face. She even initiated to explain to her!

"Not at all... You are experienced, sister Jing. But, just in a different field," Sofia smiled.

"Where did she even get this uhh--- strange idea? Could it be that she saw this kind of arrangement on social media? And she want to adapt it?" Jing Jing murmured to herself, but Sofia still managed to hear her words. It was the only possible thing that she could think of how Sofia came up with her arrangement. 

"Not in social media... I just thought of this strategy a while ago," Sofia simply replied.

Jing Jing pouted her lips and secretly asked in her thoughts, 'If not in social media, then where?!'

"Sister Jing, don't be conflicted. I think this arrangement is more profitable," Sofia giggled. The arrangement in her mind was actually the same with hotels that offer luxurious buffet dining in her past life. There were fixed prices to dine in and customers eat unlimited food but with a time limit. 

However, this kind of arrangement is not really existing in district 7. Sofia could only change the buffet dining into charging tables with unlimited food.

"Look, sister Jing, we will serve local dishes. The ingredients do not cost much. So, if we sell the food, even if it's per individual meal or a package meal, it is expected that the price is also not that expensive. Otherwise, if we sell it at a high price, people will call us greedy. We will possibly incur loss more than profit. But, there is another technique to get a big income without increasing the price of the food," Sofia started. A quick scene of her memories from her past life flashed in her mind. With the buffet business meetings, family gatherings, and the expensive cost of dining, people never really cared about the prize. Most of the time, they were more focused on unlimited food.

"And that is? We will... uhmm charge people for sitting in our c-chairs?" Jing Jing reluctantly stated. How could Jing Jing understand if Sofia won't explain this arrangement?

"Yes! However, that is not as simple as letting them sit and asking them to pay money. Sister Jing, we are charging them per hour and we will control their time. In terms of business, do you know what's the most luxurious goods in this world, sister Jing?" Sofia asked.

"Ahh... I could search for that on the internet. But, Heiz is still using my phone," Jing Jing joked.

Out of a sudden, Heiz appeared and joined them. "The most luxurious goods in the world of business... I don't think people on the internet know it," she softly said.

"Ohh, Heiz, about my phone, it's just a joke. You can continue to use it," Jing Jing quickly stated.

Sofia slightly laughed. "Then, do you know the objective answer, sister Heiz?"

"All answers to your question... are probably subjective, sis. But... I think... I know that answer that you want to hear," Heiz replied and sat a few inches away from Sofia.

"Hehe, Heiz ahh... you are actually hiding your knowledge from me.... come and tell me the answer," Jing Jing's smile widened.

"Charging customers by the tables that they would use with an hourly rate... The answer that sister Sofia is looking for should be time. No, it should be the limited time," Heiz stated.

"Limited time..." Jing Jing pondered deeply.

"Excellent! You actually got it, sister Heiz. The main product that we are charging to our customers is the hour that they stayed at our table. I have already calculated everything. Let's try and see if this works! Sister Jing, hold your phone first. I will post an announcement of these prizes," Sofia stated. She then continued to type in her laptop. "Sister Heiz, please assist sister Jing. If this goes well, our customers tomorrow would surely make a reservation right now. Just list the name of the booking, the time, and the number of seats at the table, okay? Let's start at 9 AM - 9 PM."

The business hour was long however, with the number of her employees from the double sigma fraternity, the shifting of schedule won't be a problem.

"Got, it!" Heiz confirmed and quickly returned to Jing Jing her phone. She then picked a notebook and a pen that she casually placed on the mini table earlier.

Jing Jing held her phone and watched Sofia typing...

New Dining Business in Intersection Street!

Eat UNLIMITED FOOD for an hour!

Table for 2 *******

Table for 3 *******

Table for 6*******

Table for 8*******

Table for 12*******

Open 9 AM - 9 PM

First Come First Serve Basis! Early Reservation is now available.

Contact Jing Jing  - 1875426***** for your bookings!

Hurry! Limited table only!

Walk-in customers are accepted depending on the availability of seats.

Reserve now!

After Sofia posted the long announcement, the netizens easily took notice of her post and instantly flooded it with comments and surprised reactions.

GoHie: Is it tomorrow? Ohh, it's Friday, we can definitely eat in the evening @GoLux @GeSha. Let's go? Let's get a table for 3!

Samantha27: Unlimited food! Let's try this new place @xiciing @kyle @leaah

LeoLee: Call Call Call @winston20 @bea19 @geo999 @philip666 @waren88

At first, the comments were focused on unlimited food. Mostly, the netizens were tagging their groups in the hope to split the price.

Unknowingly, their actions were actually considered as advertising Sofia's business freely. More and more tags appeared in the post and others even shared it in their own account.

'The rise of social media had really made advertising so much easier,' Sofia thought and curled her lips in a smile. She continued to read the comments as if she was waiting for a particular person or topic that would appear in her notification.

After a while, the focus of the discussion in her post shifted into the location of the place. Intersection street!

Xyla18: Isn't this the new place and the venue in the news about the young master of the Lee family the same? The one that cost half a million? OMG!!! Please confirm if this is the same?!

This was only what Sofia had waited for. With one person opening the similarity of the location, Sofia quickly replied to her.

CEO UNRIVALED reply to Xyla18: Yes. It's the place.

In one click and the curiosity of the people ignited like a fire in the candle. And, the flames of interest quickly scattered all over the social media. Soon after, Jing Jing's phone started to ring. Heiz started to list the names and information of their reservation.

Minutes passed like a blur and the two coordinated really well. Jing Jing finally understood the arrangement. It is not the table prices. It was the time of the booking that is significant.

"Sir, our 1 PM schedule for tomorrow is already booked. You can choose 2 PM and 6 PM.. This is the only schedule that is open," Jing Jing continued to talk on her phone.