Su Xiaotian had already calculated this: one month's rent for a single stall was four hundred yuan. Even if all ten stalls were rented out steadily, it would only be six hundred yuan.
She had invested over two thousand yuan in renovating this shop, including the cost of tables and chairs.
Not counting other expenses, the financial investment alone would take a year to recoup.
This was assuming all stalls could be rented out.
If one or two remained vacant, it would be even more of a loss.
Su Xiaotian didn't feel she was making a profit; instead, she felt she might be taking on a lot of risk. Li Yuling hadn't considered this, but after Su Xiaotian's reminder, she understood.
Indeed, things were just as she said.
She still lacked experience, needing a young child to remind her of such simple logic.
Just as she was about to say something, the main door was pushed open.
A young couple entered, looking honest and diligent, likely migrant workers.
After entering, they looked at the empty shop, a flash of disappointment in their eyes.
They had come in response to the rental advertisement, but upon entering, they found it completely different from what they had imagined.
However, since they had already come in, they could only inquire.
"Comrade, do you have stalls for rent here?"
The young woman hesitated before speaking, her tone timid.
"Yes, you're looking to rent a stall?" Su Xiaotian's eyes immediately sparkled at the sight of new customers.
The young woman nodded.
"May I ask what kind of business you intend to do? We are only looking to rent these stalls for food businesses."
She had already turned away someone who wanted to sell small commodities, so Su Xiaotian stated her requirements directly.
If it wasn't suitable, they could part ways, saving time!
"I plan to make lamb noodles, is that okay?" the woman asked tentatively.
The man stood behind his wife, saying nothing, but surveying the surroundings, as if trying to figure out how the stalls were to be divided for rent.
"Sister-in-law, you see, we have a total of ten stalls here. Although they are called stalls, each one is equipped with a stove and a standard setup of one large and one small pot."
Regardless of what food they made, two stove eyes should be enough, which was why Su Xiaotian had initially planned for two stove eyes.
"Next to it is the space for a cutting board. I plan to install them uniformly, but of course, if you have special needs, you can opt out of the cutting board."
Su Xiaotian led the couple over, introducing the features while carefully observing their expressions.
Clearly, after Su Xiaotian's introduction, the couple's expressions had softened considerably.
"There's also a small storage room at the back, where you can conveniently store some ingredients and the like."
The couple exchanged glances, clearly finding this arrangement very convenient.
However, convenience aside, given the environment, having many people doing business together would mean fierce competition, and they couldn't even live here.
"The rent for each stall is sixty yuan per month, payable quarterly."
Su Xiaotian continued, and then she saw a fleeting look of awkwardness on their faces.
Su Xiaotian understood: "This shop is considered to be in a trial period. The first batch of tenants will receive a 50% discount on their first month's rent, so it will be thirty yuan. If you decide to renew for the second month, you will need to pay the full three months' rent."
The young couple had brought some money with them, but not a lot.
They had heard from others that selling breakfast in the capital could be profitable, which was why they came to try.
They had originally planned to open a breakfast stall but couldn't find a suitable location after searching.
They happened to see the rental advertisement here and decided to check it out.
But sixty yuan a month for a stall, payable three months in advance, was indeed a bit difficult to afford.
After all, they still needed to purchase pots, bowls, and other necessities, which all cost money.
"Additionally, once operations begin, as we will be hiring people to clean, you will need to pay a sanitation fee of six yuan per month. This fee cannot be discounted, as it covers the cost of hiring people to wipe tables and sweep the floor."
Su Xiaotian could tell from the changes in their expressions that the couple was tempted, so she continued to persuade them.
"Little comrade, can we two discuss it?" the man said to Su Xiaotian.
The location was good, but sixty-six yuan a month was too expensive. Could they earn that much in a month?
Moreover, for such a small kitchen, no bigger than a pigeon coop, to cost so much, it didn't seem worth it.
Su Xiaotian naturally agreed.
The couple walked outside the shop and whispered to each other for a while before coming back in.
"Little comrade, can you make it cheaper? For such a small space, sixty-six yuan a month is too expensive!"
This time, it was the young man who spoke.
Su Xiaotian smiled and said, "Brother, you're only looking at the small cooking area. But even if you rented a thirty to forty square meter shop, how big would the kitchen be? Isn't the main thing to have space for people to eat?"
"But the dining area isn't ours!" the young man said unconvincingly.
Su Xiaotian was amused by this remark.
"Brother, although the dining area outside isn't yours, your customers can still use it. Are you at a disadvantage? No!"
"Exactly, young brother. Such a large space outside can accommodate many customers," Li Yuling also chimed in to help.
Su Xiaotian pointed to the spacious dining hall: "In such a large hall, you can seat far more customers than in a small shop. As long as your food is good and reasonably priced, why worry about not earning enough to cover this rent?"
The couple was indeed tempted, but they had other considerations.
Since they were renting a stall to do business, it would be best if they could also live there. However, the storage room behind the stall was too small to accommodate anyone.
Did they have to spend more money to rent a place to live?
If that were the case, with all the expenses, the elderly family members wouldn't even have a good meal!
"Brother, Sister-in-law, you should also understand the market. Outside, a thirty to forty square meter place cannot be rented for less than sixty to seventy yuan a month, and that's not even for a prime location facing the street."
"Furthermore, if you rent someone else's shop, not to mention anything else, you'll have to spend a lot of money on tables and chairs, won't you? If you're in the food business, can you let customers eat while squatting on the ground?"
"You're not letting us buy our own tables and chairs?" the young man asked.
If that were the case, it seemed quite reasonable.
"The tables and chairs will be delivered tomorrow. The rent also includes the rental cost of the tables and chairs, so you can save this expense."
The couple looked at each other and felt that what Su Xiaotian said made sense.
"If you're worried about accommodation, it's actually easy to solve. You can find a place in a more remote area and rent a small single room for just over ten yuan a month."