Part 5: A family restaurant

Episode 4: A family restaurant



Hi, Armand, how are you doing?

Not bad, uncle, but I'd like some guidance about what to do next…

If you have any questions, just ask!

What can I do to increase my reputation rating?

The only way to increase your reputation is by winning cooking contests! If your restaurant has chefs with high reputations, meaning they enter and win cooking contests, your business benefit – more people will want to try your restaurant to savor recipes made by award-winning chefs!

You can view a list of your star chefs in the information center as well, which lists your chefs with the highest reputations in the culinary world. If you ever want to see your reputation, you can do so by viewing the chef detail panel.

I think I'll be going now, uncle!

Take care, Armand.



That was mercifully short. As Michel mentioned, the game has a list of the world's top chefs sorted by reputation. Unfortunately, Armand doesn't even qualify yet, so we're not on the list. We will be soon enough, though!

The game hasn't really given me any direction yet for this mission, and there's nowhere we can go for more exposition or another cooking contest, so I just run the restaurant as I normally would.



A customer calls me over (she's hiding behind the wall in the screenshot), and I brace myself for getting insulted and then losing a bunch of money. Surprisingly, however, this customer isn't trying to scam me. Sometimes you'll get customers who work for ingredient wholesalers who will offer to supply your restaurant. This will allow you to use recipe ingredients of a higher quality than three stars, which is normally the maximum. This can significantly increase the quality of your recipes, and since it's free, there's never any reason to refuse this.



She works for a place called "Bill's Butchery" which apparently sells nothing but pork. It's unfortunately not super high quality, rated at three and a half to four stars, but it does manage to lift the quality of our mixed casserole of pork from 67% to 70%. Since each wholesaler has such a tiny selection of products, you'll never realistically get a wholesaler for every ingredient in all your recipes, but the system provides another progression mechanic as you accumulate more and more supplier relationships throughout the game, slowly increasing the quality of your recipes.



After a little while, I get a pop-up message. I hope it's not a health inspector or something.



Good day, sir, how can I help you?


So who is this jerk?



I'd like to order the Mixed Casserole of Pork. You know, I just love French food. After seeing you win the cooking contest, I thought I owed it to myself to try the winning recipe.


Wait, THAT'S your name? What the hell??

Well, you've come to the right place. We are a new restaurant, but with deep culinary roots.

But of course! I remember this fine restaurant several years ago, when it was managed by a fantastic chef. You know, that man really knew how to cook.

But what's his name…? Anyway, I hope that the only thing that has changed is the management and this decoration - *egh*. But the food, I hope not.

You were a customer here before?

Oh, yes. I came ALL the time when on my – shall we say, *business trips* to Paris. I even helped the previous owner out with some cash before. He knew how to make the best Crepes Marcie, and I love that. Can't say no to Crepes Marcie, now, can ya?

You're kidding! That person you're talking about is none other than my uncle Michel!

Michel! That's his name! Incredible fellow, you know?

But wait… you don't look like him. Besides, your decoration tastes are appalling. Michel knew how to decorate as well as cook…

What's wrong with the decoration? I kind of like it…

The ORIGINAL Treize à Table was something else! It was not only a five-star restaurant – it was a friggin' constellation! The best furniture, the best decoration, the best entertainment.

Well, yes, my uncle Michel really had this restaurant in better shape, but I AM just starting out…

I sympathize with your modest little startup operation, but I still for the life of me do not see how such a great chef as Michel is your uncle!

No – really! He IS my uncle!

You'll have to prove it to me then.

How can I prove that he is my uncle?

I don't know. Maybe if you gave me some proof…

What kind of proof?

Michel had a great recipe for Crepes Marcie. It had a special little something added to it. If you can get this from him and prepare it for me, I'd believe that he is your uncle.

You helped out my uncle before when he was younger. How about now? Would you help me out?

Perhaps. Okay, okay. I will give you a hand. Michel and I go back a long way. Now if he IS your uncle, I'll definitely help out. How does that sound?

But, wait! How can I reach you?

I will also come by frequently to taste your repertoire of recipes. It's nice to have a change of tastes, you know? It's always OmniFood this, OmniFood that…



I don't know what sort of problem Don Corleone has with our decoration, it is clearly top of the line. Anyway, uh, I guess Restaurant Empire is now an elaborate piece of Godfather fan fiction? I don't know if Armand really ought to get involved with this guy, but we have to fulfil his request to pass the mission, so I head over to Uncle Michel's place to learn how to make this jerk's special Crepes Marcie.



Already back, Armand?

Yes, I've got something to ask you!

I hope it's about food and not money again. I hate it when you ask me those silly economic questions.

Not quite. I just met this guy named Don Corleone, and he says he knows you. Now what's that all about?

Why, yes – the Don! I haven't seen him for ages! How's he doing?

Well… Fine, I guess…

That's nice to hear. We go back a long ways. You know, he used to finance my restaurant – that is, until OmniFood drove him out of the business. Make sure you say hi to him for me…

He mentioned that you had this secret Crêpes Marcie recipe. Can I have it?

This must be for Don Corleone. I remember this was his favorite recipe! I added a dash of cinnamon and vanilla essence to bring out the creaminess of the crêpes.

There you go. That should please the Don.

UNCLE MICHEL JUST GAVE YOU THE SECRET CREPES MARCIE RECIPE THAT THE DON LOVES SO MUCH.

Thanks, uncle!

Good luck with the Don.



Uncle Michel told us the secret of adding a dash of cinnamon, and it… HOLY SHIT Armand, you added ONE HUNDRED TEASPOONS of cinnamon!

Uh, well, the quality of the recipe is somehow way up to 62%, making the new Crepes Marcie our highest-quality dessert. Unfortunately, a hundred teaspoons of cinnamon per serving is really hitting our ingredient costs, so now the recipe makes a profit of 26 cents.

Don Corleone returns to the restaurant the next day, and I try serving it to him. Fuck, I hope he isn't going to shoot us or something.



Hello, Don. Or would you rather I call you Mr. Corleone?

How about just Don?


I like how Armand acts like he's dropping a big secret here by showing the Don that he knows his last name, even though:

1) Armand clearly already knew his name when he was talking to Uncle Michel in the last scene, and

2) He actually had no way of knowing the Don's name in the first place because Don Corleone didn't introduce himself when he and Armand first spoke.

Fine, Don. I've got the recipe now.

If this is indeed Michel's secret recipe, we're talking business here. Come on, let me see it…

YOU SHOW DON THE SECRET CREPES MARCIE RECIPE.


"You would offer me these crepes with a hundred teaspoons of cinnamon? What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully?"



Mmm-hmm. Yes, this is the one! Fantastic! You must be Michel's nephew! In all my years traveling, I have never found another place that adds that extra dash of cinnamon to the glorious Crepes Marcie!

You know what? I like your restaurant. And kid, I like you. You have potential. I'd like to make a standard offer to you…

What kind of an offer?

Ah, yes. The offer… If you make a monthly profit of $25,000 within six months, I will grant you an investment sum for you to expand. I can taste the quality in your food, but I cannot judge your business skills. However, if I can see you turn this profit, I will help your restaurant prosper!

And how much exactly, might I ask?

Oh, let's say $250,000 for starters. How's that sound?

Am I right in saying you'll give me 250 grand if I make a $25,000 profit, within six months?

Not-a exactly. I will see to it that the money is wisely invested, of course. *La Cosa Nostra* likes to keep their books *balanced*. So I will give-a you the loan, but you have to meet your end of the bargain.

OK, I'm game. Where do I start?

Start now. I'll be looking out for your performance. In six months, when you have made $25,000 in monthly profits, I will come see you again with your money.

Oh, and by the way, here you go, in case I forgot to give it to you before…

That's my name card. Look me up anytime. If I'm there, I'll appear on the adventure mode list, and I'll be happy to greet you.


Um, Armand, I don't think borrowing $250,000 from the mob is a good idea . Also, I like how the game's writers decided to make-a Don Corleone talk-a like Super Mario for exactly one-a dialogue box, then forgot all about it.



Unfortunately, it's an offer you can't refuse, and since we met the Don's $25,000 profit target, we are now officially a front for the Italian mafia. On the plus side, we will be using the Don's money to buy a new restaurant! We'll be getting our first look at that in the next mission.

During the mission, I bought a few new recipes off our customers. As usual, let me know if you want me to add anything to the menu:



This is a roast leg of lamb with rosemary. Sounds very nice, and it's got good profitability ($11.94) and a decent quality rating of 53%. Unfortunately, since this is a main course, it's totally outclassed by our mixed casserole of pork at 70% quality rating, but it doesn't hurt to have variety. I'd say that this is a good recipe, and I've already added it to the menu.



The main problem with this tartine, other than the fact that it looks tiny and pathetic on the plate, is that appetizers are usually hugely profitable, yet this only earns us a paltry $6.77. Since it doesn't even have a high quality rating, I can see no reason to sell this ever. At best, this is a mediocre recipe.



I love duck, I wish I could cook it all the time. Unfortunately, as in reality, making duck is really expensive, and it's really harming this recipe's profitability. By default, this only earns us $5.76 per serving. I could reduce the quality of the ingredients to make more money, but even the default recipe quality is only 46%, which is really bad for a main course. I haven't tested this, but I also suspect that this dish goes in the oven, which would make it really slow to cook. If I'm right, then this is definitely a bad recipe.

Anyway, next time we'll be properly introduced to the Family, as well as to our new restaurant!