Chapter 107. Franchise Open (2)
There are three danger zones in Nortaris where one must not carelessly set foot.
The deep levels of the Labyrinth Demon Realm, which makes a habit of swallowing even seasoned adventurers. The slums, where the residents keep robbery, thuggery, and pickpocketing as side occupations. And the CCC queue.
To that extent, eating the Royal Warrant chicken had been sothing that required one to accept a great deal.
Up until yesterday, that is.
"If you queue up now you can eat in just eight hours!"
"Apparently there are nine locations in Nortaris alone! Which one has the shortest queue?"
"Move! Move!"
The sight of a single great river of people dispersing was a spectacle in its own right.
But as ever, there were those who harbored doubts.
"Branch locations? I'm not going, I'm not going. Don't you know that branch locations can never match even half of the original?"
"I, is that so?"
It was a reasonable doubt that made even those nearby nod along involuntarily.
Dress shops, cobblers, carpentry workshops, goldsmiths, and the like. Apprentices who had worked under accomplished masters would often open branch locations borrowing the master's na.
And what of the quality of such 2nd and 3rd locations?
Generally, not good.
Why? Because a freshly independent apprentice was not the master.
Even having learned the sa craft under the sa master, the quality of the product was different. The prices, the service — different.
Of course, over ti things might develop in a positive direction, but……
"And yet they opened over a dozen branch locations all at once? Nine tis out of ten the branches being inferior to the original is simply the reality."
"That's also true."
"The ones who went dashing off are the ones lacking in sense. All we have to do is wait right here. The queue's already been cut in half on our account, too."
"My, thank you for talking us out of it."
The rchant in the queue puffed up with pride, and the people around joined in agreent.
And then, a few hours later.
"It was truly, magnificent……."
"I had it boxed up this much to take ho for the family."
"Good thing we ran over right away. Look at this queue here. Still waiting."
People with both arms full of chicken boxes began walking by, chatting noisily.
They looked at the people still steadfastly standing in the original queue with peculiar expressions. The quiet superiority of those who had been a step shrewder than everyone else.
"Hmph, laughable sight — celebrating over an inferior product like that."
The rchant who had earlier been expounding on the branch inferiority theory gave a conspicuous snort.
"Pardon? Why are you starting sothing all of a sudden?"
"Isn't it laughable? Have you actually eaten at the original? I've eaten there no fewer than three tis."
Which was to say he had spent at minimum a dozen or more days in waiting lines. Which was to say he possessed a degree of financial freedom unlike commoners who earned each day's bread on the sa day. Which was to say he was above average.
"Is what those of you have in your hands really the sort of thing that deserves the Royal Warrant? Heh heh heh."
The rchant genuinely believed it himself and continued spreading the branch inferiority theory. Inside, there was a tinge of resentnt toward those who had eaten the chicken with barely any wait at all.
"Why would you go out of your way to ruin soone's mood?"
"The food was delicious, that's all that matters. Unbelievable."
The people who had just finished a pleasant al and co out grumbled among themselves, while a seed of doubt began to sprout.
'Is that actually true?'
'That rchant's words don't seem entirely wrong…….'
'It was delicious so that ought to be enough, but sohow I feel unsettled…….'
Just then, a man of imposing build appeared, cradling a chicken box in his arms.
"What're you on about? It tasted exactly the sa as the original."
A man who had just unburdened himself at a branch location and was planning a second round at ho with Cola, having thoughtfully had it boxed up. It was Thomas.
"I've been to both the original and the branch — they were completely identical. Absolutely brilliant."
"Don't lie!"
The rchant was indignant. The original CCC alone was supposed to be the standard of taste! If it weren't, the aning of all that ti he had spent waiting in this queue would be lost!
The rchant had prepared dozens of argunts with which to shoot down this uncouth man with dazzling rhetoric.
"Why get wound up when soone's telling you? Then go ahead and keep waiting there."
Thomas made an expression of disbelief and turned away.
"……."
Only the rchant, who had alone been burning with the will to fight, remained. Not a single word of debate had been exchanged, yet sohow everyone felt they knew whose words were the truth.
"What was that — all that showing off, and he ended up the only one who lost out."
"Let's go to a branch location too."
"Suffered for nothing standing here."
The rchant shrank under the sideways glances he received, while the people set off in small groups toward the branch locations.
***
CCC's Franchise structure differed from a typical Franchise structure.
In the modern era, a Franchise business ans being consud with selling off operating rights in any way possible to expand. But Y&P Trading Company entered Franchise agreents with only a carefully selected few.
For Jurgen, it had been an unavoidable choice.
Even in the modern era where Franchise is fully established, what they call 'store-by-store variation' appears. Since human hands are involved, variation arises between locations.
But in Britannia of all places, if one were to enter into Franchise agreents with just anyone?
'I think our modified recipe beats the head office recipe…….'
'Hmm, instead of receiving chicken from a supplier, how about I brine it myself?'
'This is beer from my uncle's brewery — let's sell it as a side with the chicken……!'
'Please try our CCC ○○ Branch's special nu, fried pickles!'
It was obvious that stomach-turning developnts of that sort would happen.
One must never forget that the most important product of a Franchise is 'consistent service.'
And so the people Penelope had recruited to operate the Franchise locations numbered three in total.
Lady Ashford of the Ashford Marquisate, Lady Coldwell of the Coldwell Viscountcy, Lady Brampton of the Brampton Barony.
Won from families less subject to Rosemore's influence, and capable operators who were already running their own respective businesses excellently. Accordingly, they had grasped the importance of the Franchise business's core principles and its potential in an instant.
'Hmm, this isn't bad, is it? We manage the premises ourselves, while the brand, ingredients, recipe, supply chain, and all other infrastructure is provided in full…… This is innovative.'
'A royalty of 5% of total revenue…… The initial investnt cost is a bit steep but the royalty is reasonable.'
'In that case, we simply need to prepare the premises for operation? As it happens, I had a comrcial property sitting idle — this works out well.'
A truly radical new venture even by the standards of Britannia's nobility. The three young ladies each opened five locations apiece, evenly distributed across the North.
The results, well……
Were a runaway success that went without saying.
[Chicken Now Sweeps the Entire North — The Miracle of Crispy Crown Chicken]
[On the Royal Warrant, the Highest Short-term Revenue Restaurant, and Northern Icon CCC]
They could no longer claim the front page of the newspaper every ti as before, but articles continued to pour out steadily.
Well, the three-night four-day wait had been exceptional enough that it warrants ntion, but the sight of at minimum several hundred people drooling as they waited at each CCC location across the North was quite the spectacle.
"I expected the turnover rate to increase but I didn't expect more custors to show up."
Penelope, having co to visit Jurgen's safe house, fanned herself with the settlent statent and clicked her tongue.
"Doesn't the eye naturally go to treasure that seems within reach rather than sothing impossibly far away? The existing wait tis had been excessively long, so the contrast must be quite striking."
Revenue leaping up imdiately after the branch openings. The denomination of the figures written here being Crown — even seeing it with both eyes, it was hard to believe.
"You've had a hard ti of it, hiding away in a cramped place."
"You've worked hard too."
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