"Let me be the head chef?" Alan was stunned. "But, Master, what about you?"
In Alan's mind, since Jake had opened this restaurant and possessed extraordinary culinary skills, it made sense for Jake to be the head chef. That's why Alan had initially thought about assisting Jake and learning some culinary skills. However, Alan never expected Jake to offer him the position of head chef, leaving him wondering about Jake's role in the restaurant.
"Me?" Jake smiled and said, "I have other things to do. Why? Don't you want to be the head chef of this restaurant?"
"No, that's not what I meant." Alan hurriedly clarified, "I was just worried that I wouldn't do a good job. My culinary skills aren't as good as yours."
"How could you not do well?" Jake replied. "You were the head chef at Kailomen before. Your culinary skills are solid. Of course, since you're my disciple, I'll teach you personally. I'll set aside some time every day to mentor you."
"Really? That's great!" Alan's face lit up with excitement. "Master, I promise to work hard and not let you down."
Ever since he discovered Jake's culinary skills, Alan had been eager to learn from him. However, due to various constraints, they had only been able to work together at the barbecue stall, and Jake's teaching had been limited. Now, with the opportunity to return to the kitchen, Alan was determined to make the most of it and learn from Jake.
Jake nodded in satisfaction at Alan's enthusiasm.
"Before that, we need to hire waitstaff and some additional chefs. We also need to do some basic renovations in the restaurant," Jake explained.
After Gage had decided to sell the restaurant, he had laid off all the staff. Currently, the restaurant only had Jake and Alan, and they were severely understaffed.
Alan nodded and said, "I know some chefs, Master. If you trust me, I can try to invite them."
Jake smiled and said, "I trust you completely. You can take care of the chef recruitment. I'll handle the recruitment of waitstaff."
Jake had limited knowledge of the culinary industry, but Alan, with his years of experience and previous position as the head chef at Kailomen, had a network of contacts. Jake was more than willing to leave the hiring of chefs in Alan's capable hands.
After their meal, they split up to work on their respective tasks. Jake returned the 500,000 he had borrowed from Alan earlier. Alan set out to contact the chefs he knew, while Jake reached out to a renovation team to plan some basic improvements for the restaurant. As for hiring waitstaff, they would tackle that task at the job market the next morning. Typically, job markets opened in the morning and were less crowded in the afternoon.
Thanks to the proceeds from "Farewell to a Guest," Jake had over 40 million in profits, and the restaurant purchase had cost around 20 million. Therefore, Jake had a substantial budget for renovations and hiring staff.
With money at hand, finding a high-quality renovation team was not a difficult task for Jake. It didn't take long for him to locate a team that met his requirements. After discussing renovation plans and securing an agreement, they assured Jake that they could start working the next day.
The following morning, after Jake finished his workout, he headed to the job market. At this early hour, it was just past 8 a.m., and the job market was yet to open. However, a crowd had already gathered outside, most of them clutching their resumes with hopeful and nervous expressions.
As Jake observed these expressions, he couldn't help but reflect on his own experience a few months ago. Back then, he had been one of these hopeful job seekers, carrying his resume with a heart full of unease, repeatedly going to the job market in search of a suitable job. Each time, he had returned disappointed.
Now, just a few months later, Jake's circumstances had changed. Returning to the job market, he had gone from being a job seeker to an employer.
At 8:30 a.m., the job market opened its doors, and the eager crowd rushed in. Jake had already arranged for a booth at the market after contacting them in advance.
However, when he arrived at the market, he realized how ill-prepared he was. He hadn't brought any recruitment posters, and he hadn't filled out any recruitment information. Moreover, he had come alone, without any assistance.
In a hurry, Jake filled out information on the positions he wanted to hire for, including job descriptions and salary expectations. He was the only one doing this on-site, but it did attract some people who stayed to take a look. However, many left when they saw that Jake was only hiring for positions like waitstaff and front desk roles.
Most of the job seekers at the market had higher education backgrounds and were not interested in working as service staff. This was especially true for recent graduates who still held some pride and were reluctant to take up positions they considered low-status.
However, not everyone left; some people with lower educational backgrounds remained. Jake didn't mind this as he didn't have high educational requirements for these positions. As long as they could read and write, he was satisfied. Of course, for higher-level roles like the front-of-house manager, he had stricter requirements, including experience and education, as he wanted to make his restaurant exceptional.
Jake interviewed three or four candidates who were applying for waitstaff positions. They were all young and had less education, and Jake chatted with them briefly before hiring them.
However, the position of front-of-house manager, which Jake had high hopes for, had not attracted any applicants until now. He considered this position essential because he couldn't be present in the restaurant all the time, and the manager would play a significant role in running the establishment. If the manager's capabilities were lacking, it could have a considerable impact on the restaurant.
"Hello, I'd like to apply for the position of front-of-house manager," a clear voice rang out, catching Jake's attention.