My Girlfriend Chose a Rich Man, Then My Money Started Multip

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Victor Hale moved faster than Noah had expected.

Two days after his visit to Golden Plate, a renovation crew showed up at the abandoned upscale restaurant across the street. When Noah arrived that morning, workers were already mounting a new sign above the entrance.

HALE'S — FINE DINING

Maya appeared beside him, carrying two cups of coffee. She handed one to Noah and stared at the sign.

"He's really opening a restaurant right under our noses."

Noah took the cup. "At least we won't have to go far to see how he's doing."

Maya turned to him, looking for any sign that he was joking. "Victor doesn't throw money around without a reason. I heard he's hired two chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants. And with his family's connections, I wouldn't be surprised if half the city's influential people have already booked tables before the place even opens."

Across the street, workers unloaded crates from a delivery truck.

"Sounds like they'll have plenty of people willing to give them a try," Noah said.

"You realize they could take our customers, right?"

"Of course."

Maya stared at him. She had spent most of the morning worrying about the new competition, while Noah seemed perfectly content to watch the workers install a sign.

"Do you have a plan?"

He took a sip of coffee. "Give people a reason to come back here."

"That's your plan?"

"It's a start."

Maya let out a frustrated breath. "You make everything sound so easy."

"Complaining before they even open won't help us."

She was about to argue, but Noah had already started toward the restaurant. He had plenty of work waiting inside, and watching Victor's people install expensive lighting wasn't going to get any of it done.

By noon, Maya appeared in his office with her phone in hand. "We have a problem."

Noah looked up from the expense report. "What now?"

She placed the phone on his desk.

A headline filled the screen of a local food news website.

HALE'S VS. GOLDEN PLATE: CAN THE NEWCOMER COMPETE WITH THE CITY'S ELITE?

The article featured photographs of both restaurants. Hale's was presented as a formidable newcomer with deep financial backing, experienced chefs, and premium service. Golden Plate, meanwhile, was described as a restaurant that had suddenly gained attention after a wave of viral social media reviews.

One section questioned whether Golden Plate's popularity would survive once a more established competitor entered the market.

Noah read the article to the end before handing the phone back.

"They haven't even tried our full menu," Maya said. "How can they compare our food to theirs?"

"They're not reviewing our food. They're setting up a story about two restaurants competing for the same customers."

"And they've already decided which one deserves to win."

Noah closed the expense report. "Then let the customers decide."

Maya lowered herself into the chair across from him.

"I don't mind competition. But if the media keeps portraying us as a restaurant riding a social media trend, people might assume we have nothing worth coming back for."

"That's a fair concern."

She paused, apparently surprised that he wasn't going to dismiss it.

"We can't stop people from writing articles," Noah continued. "What we can do is make sure nobody comes here, tries our food, and leaves disappointed."

"How?"

"Check our inventory. Make sure we have enough staff for the weekend. If there's a problem with any dish, I want to hear about it before a customer complains."

Maya pulled out her phone and began taking notes. "All right. I'll contact some of our regulars, too, and confirm their weekend reservations."

"Don't offer them special deals just to keep them away from Hale's," Noah said. "If they choose to eat here, I want it to be because they actually like our restaurant."

Maya nodded. Her concerns hadn't disappeared, but at least they had something useful to work on now.

The office door opened, and Ethan walked in, pulling off his apron. From the look on his face, he'd seen something across the street that had caught his attention for all the wrong reasons.

"I got a look at their kitchen while the suppliers were unloading," he said. "Expensive equipment. One of their chefs used to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York."

Maya leaned back in her chair. "Great. So they're serious."

Ethan glanced at Noah. "Should we change our menu?"

"Do you think we need to?"

Ethan considered the question before answering.

"No. But I'd like to test a few new dishes. If they're selling the fine-dining experience, we should give people another reason to come back. The food itself needs to speak for us."

A faint smile crossed Noah's face. "Now that sounds like a plan."

"I've been thinking about it since this morning."

"And you waited until now to tell me?"

"I was waiting for you to finish reading about how wonderful the restaurant across the street is."

Maya laughed under her breath.

Noah shook his head and asked Ethan to put together a list of dishes he wanted to test. They didn't need to overhaul the entire menu just because Victor had invested in an expensive kitchen and hired a few famous chefs. But if Ethan saw room to improve their food, Noah wasn't going to stand in his way.

By late afternoon, Golden Plate had settled into its usual dinner preparations. Staff arranged the tables, servers checked reservations, and the smell of freshly prepared food drifted out of the kitchen.

Through the front window, Noah watched Hale's welcome its first invited guests. Luxury cars pulled up outside, and formally dressed men and women stepped out to be greeted by staff waiting at the entrance.

A few minutes later, a man in a tailored suit emerged from the restaurant and began speaking with a photographer on the sidewalk.

Maya followed Noah's gaze. "Looks like Victor invited all the right people."

Noah watched the gathering for another moment before turning away. A server had called him over to check on a newly reserved table.

"Then let's take care of the people who came here."

That evening, both restaurants drew a crowd.

Hale's filled with invited guests and curious diners eager to see what Victor's new establishment had to offer. Golden Plate was nearly full as well, with several regulars bringing friends along for dinner.

Shortly before nine, Maya returned to Noah's office with the latest reservation report.

"There's something you should see."

Noah scanned the list. Several weekend reservations had been canceled. The number wasn't particularly high, but it was enough to catch his attention.

"Did they give a reason?"

"Two people said they wanted to try Hale's first. The others didn't explain."

He set the report down.

The competition had finally begun to affect their business, even if only at the edges.

Noah had no intention of chasing every customer who decided to try another restaurant. But he wasn't going to let Victor dictate how Golden Plate survived, either.

"Tomorrow morning, I want this week's sales compared with last week's. Check which dishes are selling best, too."

Maya nodded. "Already thinking about our next move?"

"I want to know what our customers actually like before we decide what to do."

She took the report and headed back out.

Once he was alone, Noah picked up his phone to check his system balance. Before he could open the interface, a notification appeared on the screen.

[New Mission Available.]

He read the next line, and the faint smile he'd worn all evening disappeared.

[Prove that Golden Plate deserves to be the best restaurant in the district.]