Chapter 4
I arrived a few hours early to prepare for the first day of business.
I thought there wouldn't be people at this time.
"I told you not to push! Do you know which family the lady I serve is from?"
"You think your lady is the only noble young lady?"
"One hit and your jaw will spin right around, you bastard."
Our cafe was definitely not a place for commoners.
Therefore, people who would use such rough language in public wouldn't come as customers.
But it was unthinkable for noble young ladies to stand in line themselves.
Because that would be improper behavior for a noble.
So they must have sent their servants to stand in for them.
When it was time to open the shop, the noble young ladies who employed these people would come flooding in.
"Antonio, have you finished preparations like cleaning the shop?"
Antonio, the only middle-aged man in this shop and the assistant manager.
Usually, he's a handsome man who shows the composure typical of middle-aged men with a subtle smile.
Perhaps because more people came than expected, his characteristic smile was there, but the corners of his mouth were trembling slightly.
"As you instructed, young master, we've cleaned the shop thoroughly and prepared plenty of cakes and tea leaves. But I'm afraid we won't be able to handle this many people with our current staff."
I had expected people to flock here from the first day of business.
That's why I hired many employees compared to the shop size and stocked up on various ingredients to the point where Antonio was worried.
But if this is all the ingredients I had prepared, they would run out in less than half a day.
No, considering customers who would take cakes to go, it might be even faster.
"For now, tell them to fill the cake baking area with people. Not everyone can apply cream or do decorations, but anyone can make bread dough, right?"
Applying cream evenly isn't really a difficult task.
It's just that a complete novice can't do it instantly.
On the other hand, anyone can make dough if the measurements were done properly.
"Also, get someone who can write and set up a temporary stand in front to take orders from people who want to take cakes to go, starting now."
More than half, no, over two-thirds of the servants there probably wanted to buy cakes to take home or to tea parties.
"First, disperse the crowd and since we haven't started business yet, get some porters to deliver cakes."
Even if the noble young ladies weren't waiting themselves, it was not a good idea to keep their servants waiting for too long.
"And give those waiting servants a glass of water, no, some hot soup. Even though it's late autumn, they must be cold and hungry standing there since morning."
Distributing dozens of bowls of soup would become quite an expense.
But if we could get on their good side by giving out a few bowls of soup, it was a bargain.
Compared to the profit we'd get from customers consuming cakes and tea, this was just a drop in the bucket.
"I thought I was going to freeze to death. Now I feel like I might live."
Smiles appeared on the faces of those who received the soup.
When they returned home now, they'd probably spread good words about me.
Saying that the second young master of the Medici family was a kind person who even takes care of lowly people.
"We're about to open for business!"
With those words, beautifully dressed women appeared from various places.
The young ladies immediately switched places with their family's servants and lined up to enter.
"The inside of the shop has such a nice atmosphere."
"I like how it gives a feeling of comfort."
The young ladies who entered the shop looked around with shining eyes.
The interior like tables and chairs, carefully selected staff, cute cakes and cookies, and so on.
Objects and atmosphere meticulously tailored to women's sensibilities.
"Unlike the tea parties held at our family homes, it's nice that we can talk comfortably here."
"After all, at tea parties, we have to pretend to be friendly even with women we don't like."
The cafe I opened was designed so that people could come purely with those they're close to, without political considerations.
So if it becomes a salon-like place where women gather to talk like this...
Would it eventually become a place where men also come to have private conversations?
"Young master, all 120 cakes we prepared have been sold."
Even though most of this cafe's sales actually came from takeout, already 120?
It had only been 2 hours since we opened.
"And please look over there."
Unlike the elegant and quiet cafe interior, the takeout counter was in chaos.
"In two hours, there will be a tea party hosted by the young lady of our Vieta family! Please give us the cakes quickly!"
"You think the Vieta family is the only one in line? Keep to the order!"
"Our family is in a hurry too!"
While the cafe area where the young ladies gathered was quite elegant despite the line outside.
The mere servants who didn't need to worry about dignity were really ‘enthusiastic’.
If it's like this on the first day of opening, if we just ride the trend properly... Could we become filthy rich with just this one cafe?
"What should we do?"
"Everyone, both inside and outside the cafe, are important customers. However, the young ladies inside are the top priority, so make sure to secure enough for those dining in the cafe."
It's okay to make the servants waiting outside wait if there's a legitimate reason.
Servants of noble families were just like employees of big companies.
But the young ladies inside the cafe were like the daughters of company presidents.
If we couldn't do business because we didn't have anything to give them, our reputation would plummet.
"There are also male nobles outside, what should we do?"
This cafe was thoroughly designed to cater to women's tastes.
Why on earth did men come?
"Don't discriminate against customers, let them in! Inform them that they must order at least one slice of cake and one cup of tea per person."
The Tuscan Empire did have some aspects similar to medieval Europe.
However, they didn't advocate for gender separation like "men and women should not sit together after age seven" as in Joseon.
So there's no problem mixing men and women in the same shop.
The ones who entered the shop were young gentlemen dressed to the nines.
"I heard it's trendy among women these days, so I came to see it, and it's quite nice."
"Let's have a cup of tea and talk comfortably."
"Then shall we all talk about swordsmanship..."
They were all dressed up pretending not to be interested in women.
But their eyes kept glancing at the women.
They were even giving silent instructions by poking the person in front with their fingers.
Just listening to their tone, you could clearly see they were nervous because they were about to make a move.
Anyone could see what this was.
It was men with no dating experience trying to work up the courage to approach women they like.
I hear it's not uncommon for this kind of approach to lead to marriage even at balls, but really...
"I'd like to get some takeout here."
Everyone's too busy to respond right now.
"Yes, miss. How may I help you?"
A deep smile appeared on the face of the young lady who saw me.
"It's Young Master Fabio. The cake at your brother's baron inauguration banquet was really delicious."
"I'm grateful that such a beautiful lady enjoyed it."
"One strawberry cake, please."
I took out a specially ordered wooden case.
Even though it's for expensive items, it's not that expensive a box as it's a disposable container.
It has our Medici family crest engraved in brown, giving it quite a luxurious feel.
Like "MADE IN KOREA," engraving the family crest would greatly help in branding this cake.
Nobles, to whom showing off was like life itself, would want the cake from our Cafe Medici that led the cake trend.
And this box was the most prominent means to show that the cake was genuine.
Later, there might even be a practice of returning boxes, but...
Even considering all that, this is still much more profitable.
"Here you are, miss."
"Thank you."
"Please come again."
Before I knew it, the men who had been just watching moved.
"Um, if it's not rude, would you like to have a cup of tea?"
Stammering words and faces red as apples.
But it seemed the conversation went well, as those two parties sat down together and started chatting.
And by the time business ended, quite a few people had gone on something like blind dates.
Cafe Medici had suddenly become a holy ground for men and women seeking natural encounters.
The shop had prospered to the point of becoming the center of talk in social circles.
***
"The accounting is done."
Business went much better than expected.
The sales seemed quite promising, I wonder how much it came to?
"Total sales: 7 gold coins, 8 silver coins, 72 copper coins. Total 78 pounds 72 pence. Total expenses: 1 gold coin, 9 silver coins, 95 copper coins, 19 pounds 95 pence."
Daily profit of about 6 gold coins.
Considering that I had initially borrowed this building and 50 gold coins from father, it might not seem like a very large amount, but…
6 gold coins was equivalent to a year and a half's income for a commoner living in the city.
They say the wealth gap was even worse than 21st century Korea, but to earn such a large sum in just one day.
"Hurray! Hurray!"
I was the only one cheering as if about to jump up and down, but I wasn't particularly embarrassed.
If we could steadily earn this much from now on, we could live quite comfortably.
"Congratulations, young master."
"Thank you, Antonio."
"It's all thanks to you, young master."
I made all the plans.
But without their efforts, this plan would have been nothing but a meaningless delusion.
"It was possible thanks to your hard work. Thank you."
To succeed, you must always reward your subordinates for their contributions.
That way, they would work even harder.
And they would take my side even in dangerous times.
"The daily wage for the rest of the staff, excluding Antonio, is 3 copper coins, 3 pence."
Antonio received a separate assistant manager allowance, so his salary was about twice that of regular employees.
Compared to the money I earned, Antonio's and the regular employees' salaries seemed too stingy.
Originally, those working in such cafes received a daily wage of 1 penny, one copper coin.
Giving 3 pence was like treating them as regular employees of a big company in Korean terms.
"Since it's the first day, and you all did a good job, I'll double your pay as a sign of appreciation and to ask for your continued good work."
Everyone cheered.
Indeed, the shop employees don't care about the sales, the most important thing was how much they receive.
"Everyone line up."
There's only one reason I bothered to hand out wages personally.
It was a performance meant to make them feel even more grateful to me, since I was giving them money anyway.
But when those who received wages they couldn't even imagine saw me giving out the wages personally.
"Thank you, young master. Thank you so much!"
Everyone's eyes reddened and they bowed their heads over and over.
"Unlike other nobles, I will always share the joy with you when good things happen. So work as if this is your own shop. Good job everyone, and come at the same time tomorrow. Antonio, before you leave, put up a notice to hire more people to make cake batter, and write and send a letter to secure more carts."
Our shop prospered more and more as the employees and I, the owner, worked together as one body, but...
Just two weeks later, an unexpected interference came.
"What bastard reported our Cafe Medici to the church as an extremely lewd den?"