In Zhengzhou, let the braised Yellow River carp, which is very well-known and has not been consumed frequently, enter the homes of ordinary people, become the daily cuisine of customers, and even deeply integrate into the lives of ordinary people in Zhengzhou, this transformation is not easy to come by.
As one of the earliest brands to focus on the braised Yellow River carp category, Gu Yuchun braised Yellow River carp has played a big role in this process.
Product: Improved more than 500 times, making a large carp that meets the taste of Zhengzhou people
Around 2014, with the development of the times, braised Yellow River carp ushered in a revival, and many restaurants began to specialize in this dish.
At that time, some restaurants took the retro route and wanted to make the most traditional braised Yellow River carp; some restaurants took the high-end route and wanted to make the braised Yellow River carp into a tall product.
Gu Yuchun believes that these styles can be fused together, and the most important thing is to develop a braised Yellow River carp that meets the taste of Zhengzhou citizens, as long as the people like to eat, it is really successful.
Therefore, Yu Lei, director of Gu Yuchun's production, drew 4 chefs from each store with their own strengths to form a braised Yellow River carp research and development team, on the basis of the traditional braised Yellow River carp, continuous innovation, after two years, finally successfully developed.
This set of cooking techniques is divided into 15 steps, such as smoking fishing line, changing nine knives, bamboo basketing, simmering slowly for 50 minutes, etc.
According to Yu Lei, at that time, the people of Zhengzhou mainly concentrated on several problems such as fishy taste and loose meat, and the braised Yellow River carp cooked after these 15 processes was "soft in flesh and soft in texture, no fishy taste", so once it was launched, it was very popular.
In the following month, Gu Yuchun will improve the dish of braised Yellow River carp. So far, there have been more than 500 improvements, large and small.
Being close to the taste of the people of Zhengzhou has become the first step in integrating the braised Yellow River carp into the daily life of Zhengzhou people.
Dinner: Immersive experience, let the big carp into the emotional life of the citizens
In 2019, based on the good reputation of braised Yellow River carp among Zhengzhou citizens, Gu Yuchun put forward the brand concept of "real dinner".
With the continuous development of society, the pressure of urban life is increasing, and the gathering, as one of the main social methods, has become a just need for the lives of citizens. The dinner party is not only an opportunity to taste the food, but also a space to vent emotions. Therefore, after Gu Yuchun introduced this concept, it was widely praised by the citizens of Zhengzhou.
In addition, for the braised Yellow River carp, the immersive experience of the dinner allows the people to have a deeper understanding of this cuisine. In order to let the citizens of Zhengzhou fully experience the charm of the braised Yellow River carp in the process of dinner, Gu Yuchun also made many supporting measures.
For example, Gu Yuchun has invested in affordable liquor supermarkets in each store to ensure that "real wine is really affordable" and the price is cheaper than the market price. Ordering a braised Yellow River carp at dinner, and then a bottle of wine, a mouthful of fish meat, and a glass of wine, is this not exactly the pride of the sons and daughters of the Central Plains?
Gu Yuchun launched the store upgrade plan in 2019, renovating all the old stores, and the new stores also used the same design concept to create a stylish, simple and warm dining environment. From another point of view, it is also an "escort" for customers to enjoy braised Yellow River carp.
Through the form of dinner, the positioning of braised Yellow River carp in the minds of the people of Zhengzhou has been sublimated twice, and it has not only become the main dish of the dinner that must be ordered at the table, but also integrated into the emotional life of the people of Zhengzhou in this harmonious atmosphere.
Interaction: No threshold public welfare activities, so that every zhengzhou person can eat fish
On children's day not long ago, Gu Yuchun announced that all customers who bring their children to dinner can enjoy a braised Yellow River carp for free. On Father's Day, Gu Yuchun's fathers sent flowers, so that hard-working fathers could enjoy the braised Yellow River carp while admiring the flowers.
In fact, similar public welfare activities, Gu Yuchun often does.
During the epidemic last year, Gu Yuchun sent 1503 braised Yellow River carp packages to Zhengzhou hospitals, communities, law enforcement units, etc.; when Zhengzhou catering just opened up dine-in, Gu Yuchun sent 130,000 braised Yellow River carps to Zhengzhou citizens; subsequently, on May 12, on Nurses' Day, Gu Yuchun announced: Zhengzhou medical staff will eat fish for free in 2020... These public welfare activities are completely thresholdless, some customers just eat a fish, do not order anything, Gu Yuchun also received.
Please let the people eat fish for free, there is no threshold, some people may ask: Gu Yuchun is not stupid?
Of course, Gu Yuchun is not stupid, there is a sense of social responsibility in it. As one of the representative brands of Zhengzhou braised Yellow River carp, Gu Yuchun has the obligation to let more Zhengzhou people know about braised Yellow River carp, especially for those Zhengzhou people who have not eaten this dish, they need a chance to try. This is not only an opportunity for Gu Yuchun, but also a great benefit to the big braised Yellow River carp category.
Although these public welfare activities were inadvertently done by Gu Yuchun, they also invisibly narrowed the distance with the people of Zhengzhou.