Chapter 67: Cooperation

These people could not stop praising the Rougamo, but it made the Bear Kids who were circling below very anxious. They were really craving it, but these people were only eating by themselves, and no one was paying any attention to the bears. How could they not be anxious?

In the end, there was simply no other way. The two bears had to use their long-unused leg-hugging skill and grabbed onto Liu Heming’s legs. With their current weight, they really made it impossible for Liu Heming to move.

“You two, I am worried that there are too many seasonings here, and it might not be good for your health. I will give you just a little bit of meat.” Looking at the two Bear Cubs who refused to let go, Liu Heming said helplessly.

“Dexter, how do you plan to sell these?” George asked after Liu Heming had satisfied the two Bear Cubs.

“I am also thinking about this problem. I looked up those mobile Food Trucks online. I did not expect them to be so expensive, and I also need to get the corresponding inspection certificates.” Liu Heming shook his head and said.

“But if I open a physical store, there are not many people in our Xiangshui Town, and going to Walker Town is too far. It is fine now since I am not too busy, but soon my Vegetable Garden will yield some harvest. By then, I probably will not have so much time to do these things.”

Last night, I was impulsive and thought this could bring me a lot of prospects for money. After thinking it over carefully this morning, I realized it is not that simple.

The options are a mobile Food Truck or a physical store, but both require money. Right now, I do not have that much capital. If they sell well, it would be fine; if they do not, I would not even have the money for farming.

“Dexter, how much do you plan to sell this Chinese Hamburger for?” Lewis asked.

“Right now, I am not too sure either. If I set the price too high, I am afraid people might not be able to afford it. If I set it too low, I feel it would not do justice to its deliciousness. Can you help me think about what price would be appropriate?” Liu Heming asked everyone.

“If you were in a big city, you could easily sell this Chinese Hamburger for five US Dollars each. Because their consumption level is high, as long as your food is tasty, even if the price is a bit higher, people would still rush to buy it.” Lewis thought for a moment and said.

“But in our Xiangshui Town, if it exceeds 3.5 US Dollars, it will be hard to sell. Our main customers are the truck drivers passing by, and I think they would need at least four to feel full. In Walker Town, you could probably sell it for around 4 US Dollars. Walker Town is doing quite well now.”

“If you are interested, we could try cooperating. I will add your Dumplings and Chinese Hamburger to the menu in my Restaurant, and I will not charge you for the space. For each one sold, you give me fifty cents. How does that sound?”

Liu Heming thought it over. Lewis’s cut was not small, almost 20% of his profit. But it also had benefits for him; it could reduce the initial investment costs. It would be like earning for each one sold, and it could also help test the market. If it really took off in the future, he could start his own business.

“Lewis, are you not afraid that I might sell really well in the future and then open my own store?” Thinking of this, Liu Heming asked curiously.

“Why would I be afraid? These are your own creations, so it is only natural for you to open a store if they sell well. At the very least, before you open your own store, I hope you sell a lot because I will earn a good amount along the way.” Lewis shrugged and said.

“I truly hope you can build a reputation. That way, not only would passing drivers stop to eat, but it could also bring some profit to my Inn.”

“But there is one issue you should consider: if they really become popular, you will probably need to hire help. Otherwise, by yourself, you might not have enough time to make Dumplings.”

“OK, let us settle it for now. I will think it over more carefully later. By the way, what do you think about selling these Dumplings, just like the ones we ate today, for seven US Dollars per bowl of twenty?” After a brief thought, Liu Heming nodded and asked.

“That price is very reasonable. Actually, I think you could even charge eight US Dollars. Your Dumplings have a lot of beef. You could reduce the proportion appropriately without affecting the taste. Or you could develop Dumplings with other fillings to meet the needs of different customers.”

“Dexter, hurry up and get this going. I really think this is a fantastic idea. I feel these Dumplings taste different from the ones I had at the Chinese Restaurant before; these are even better.”

“Oh my, it seems that if we want to eat Dumplings and Chinese Hamburger in the future, we will have to pay a high price.” George said jokingly from the side.

“Haha, I do not care about others, but I can give them to you for free. Actually, although these things are delicious, you cannot eat them every day. If you eat them too often, they can become tiresome.” Liu Heming said with a laugh.

“Haha, I knew Dexter was the best.” George laughed heartily, putting an arm around his shoulder.

Megan shook her head helplessly on the side. It seemed that after meeting Dexter, her husband had become much younger. It was not about the few US Dollars; if they wanted to eat, they could just come to Liu Heming’s house, right? They had eaten so many times and never paid. The water from the lake was far more valuable than that money.

“Oh, right, Dexter, if you want to serve these Dumplings in bowls, you will need to order some. And for your future brand, you could print your own logo on the bowls. Also, for these Chinese Hamburger, since it is a bit hot to hold directly, you could also order some food-grade paper bags to put them in.” Lewis spoke up again.

“Thank you, Lewis. I will hurry up and order some. Haha, I just thought of something. I will use the two of them for my logo, with their heads and little paws.” Liu Heming nodded and happened to see the Bear Cubs licking their paws after finishing the Rougamo, and he had a sudden inspiration.

John had also mentioned before that I should create a logo. Why not just use them? They look cute, and it is convenient. I do not have to worry about things like violating portrait rights.

Since the meal was almost over, everyone started giving Liu Heming suggestions. Lewis gave him the most advice, after all, he was in the food business. Every suggestion he gave was very practical, and it helped Liu Heming, a newcomer to the food industry, a lot.

Now that I think about it, the fifty cents Lewis asked for is really not much. I would still need to use his people, his water, and electricity—these are all costs too.