City ​​of Witches 321

Chapter 321 – #71_Gehenna’S Host Bar (4)

#319

1.
Though Periwinkle now leisurely wanders around, having stepped down from management, she once ran a hotel herself.
However, even she knew very little about host bars, so Takasho first explained the basic revenue structure of a host bar.

First, there’s the entrance fee, which is charged as soon as you enter.
This fee includes simple appetizers like cheese and ham, wine, and a bottle of champagne.

“It’s similar to booking a table at a club.”
“Yes, that’s right. Also, we have three tiers of entrance fees, with different champagnes provided for each.”
“The cheapest is Dom Perignon Blanc, then Rosé 2000, and then the 1995 vintage?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmm… Okay, go on.”

Next, the witch designates a host to sit with her.
There is no separate designation fee, and the host entertains the witch with various amusements.
They drink together or have conversations.

“In other words, they’re hitting on them?”
“It’s not just hitting on them. We prioritize the witches’ pleasure and make them feel a tingling sensation they don’t usually experience.”

If a witch doesn’t specifically designate a host or is a first-time customer, the hosts rotate every 15 minutes or so.

“Like sampling perfumes at a perfume store, we show them the faces of the hosts to see which one they like best.”
“And then?”
“The witch, who is sufficiently pleased, gifts the host who is sitting with her a high-end liquor.”

Additional revenue is generated when a witch orders high-end liquor at the bar.

“Receiving liquor gifts from witches is the most ideal source of income.”
“It’s pretty much what I thought. And?”
“If they really like them, they arrange an after-party or a second round. In this case, a certain dispatch fee must be paid to the bar, and if tips or other gifts are given, 30% goes to the establishment and the remaining 70% goes to the host.”

In other words, the revenue structure of this host bar is:
Entrance fee + liquor ordered separately by the witch + dispatch fee + 30% of tips.

Periwinkle listened to Takasho’s explanation and crossed her arms.
Siwoo had heard this story so many times from Takasho that he took it for granted, but it seemed like she needed some time to organize her thoughts.

“Seeing is believing. Shall we try it out first?”

As expected of Periwinkle.
Takasho, not at all flustered by her bold declaration to jump right in, bowed politely.

“Then, we will serve you with the best service.”
“No, do it as usual, as usual. I need to get a better sense of what it’s like.”
“Yes, then…”

-Snap!
As Takasho snapped his fingers, five handsome men walked in.

2.
About an hour later.
Periwinkle, who had become the first customer, was quite happily chatting and sharing drinks with the hosts.
Siwoo, like a stick in the mud, watched Periwinkle and the hosts.

Honestly, he was a little impressed.
First of all, they were all good-looking.
The men were well-dressed in suits, and the hosts’ skillful service, with their restrained movements, showed signs of training.

They were fully aware that their customer was a witch, not an ordinary woman, and they were not frivolous but rather composed.
They created an atmosphere as if they were being courted in a salon.
Of course, one or two of them made minor mistakes, perhaps due to nervousness, but Periwinkle was in such a good mood that she just laughed it off.

“Okay, that’s enough.”
“It was a pleasure. Please look for me, Paul, next time.”

With Paul kneeling on one knee, kissing her hand, and exiting like a man proposing,
Periwinkle’s host bar tasting ended with a smile.
As soon as Paul left, Periwinkle glanced at Siwoo and smiled mischievously.

“How was it? Me chatting happily with other men?”

It seemed like she was being unusually playful.
Was she trying to make him jealous?
Siwoo responded calmly.

“I’m so jealous that my heart feels like it’s burning.”
“That’s~ a lie~”

Unlike Periwinkle, who was leisurely acting out a skit, Takasho’s face was stiff with tension.
Like a chef whose food is being evaluated after painstaking training and preparation, he was wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
Takasho asked cautiously.

“Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll come back.”

Periwinkle, who had been stroking her chin, threw a fastball that even Siwoo was surprised by.
Even the usually composed Takasho briefly lost his composure.

“Well, then… oh, you have a good sense.”
“That’s very kind of you.”

Periwinkle put a cigarette in her mouth, and at that moment, Takasho quickly rushed over and carefully lit it for her.
Even while pale, he was still able to do that.
Takasho was indeed a professional.
Siwoo was inwardly impressed.

“Let’s go over it one by one. First, I roughly understand what the intention of this host bar is. It’s a feeling that you can’t get at the ‘Hydrangea Garden’ or a brothel… what should I call it? Something in between?”
“That’s correct.”

They receive the utmost hospitality, but conversations are exchanged on a somewhat equal footing.

“I think the sales point itself was excellent. The cute guys are very well-trained, and there will be witches who want that kind of drinking experience, so there will be demand. It’s also novel, and with this level of freshness and lightness, even witches who aren’t usually interested in men might stop by out of curiosity.

I’ve been feeling it since earlier, but the interior design is also quite stylish.
It’s appropriately antique and modernly sophisticated, without being flashy, and it’s calm. If we’re just talking about the atmosphere of the bar, it’s definitely not inferior to any of the nearby bars.”

“Thank you!”

Periwinkle continued, flipping through the ledgers scattered on the table.
Takasho’s face regained some color at the positive praise.

“Okay, let’s look at this first?”

From the thick pile of papers, Periwinkle magically pulled out the necessary data and held up the customer list.

“There were at least some people in the early days of the opening?”
“Yes, we invited witches we had connections with… and some people stopped by out of curiosity since a new bar had opened.”

In the first week of the soft opening, 50 witches came and went.
Considering the size of the bar, it was not a small number, though insufficient.

“So, how many came back?”
“…Three.”
“Shall I guess? The three witches who were personally invited because you had a connection with them, right?”
“Yes.”

Siwoo could also see it.
Among the many customers, the witches who visited the bar afterward were all professors from Trinity Academy.
In other words, they came out of loyalty, not because they felt a great merit in the bar itself.

“Haven’t you thought about it as a problem? What do you think is the reason?”
“……”

Takasho was speechless for the first time.
Siwoo, who had been listening quietly, had no idea either.

She said it was a business with enough demand.
She said the service was good.
But there are no repeat customers?
That means there is a fundamental problem.

“Please! Teach me, who is lacking!”

Takasho performed a dogeza with a beautiful angle.
It was a flawless dogeza that Siwoo had previously admired.

“Come here and sit comfortably. I’m being nice because I’m Siwoo’s friend, okay?”
“I will keep that in mind!”

Takasho walked over with a strange, burning gaze and sat in front of Periwinkle.

“One major problem.”

She raised one slender finger and began to point out the problems she had analyzed.

“It’s a structure that subtly scratches the unique arrogance of witches. Not in a good way. In the sense of stirring up trouble.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“First of all, you’re aiming for a high-end entertainment establishment, right? That’s why you opened a shop in Malkuth Gallery, not Taro Town.”
“That’s correct.”

Periwinkle took a stylish drag of her cigarette and then put the remaining half in Siwoo’s mouth.
Then, she leaned forward to give a detailed explanation.

“Okay, I’m Witch A, who’s visiting a host bar for the first time. I’m feeling sluggish, and my magic research is boring, so I’m restless, and I hear that a unique bar has opened. And that bar is a high-end bar where I can drink while being served by handsome men.”

Takasho took out a notebook and pen and listened carefully to her words.

“But what? As soon as I enter the entrance, 12 people greet me loudly? At that moment, I think, ‘Is this a high-end bar…?’.
So, with a mixed feeling, as soon as I’m guided to my seat, they tell me about the entrance fee? Why tell me in advance instead of just charging it later?

And there are three types of entrance fees. I came here to be treated, but from the start, the bar is trying to divide me into classes? How dare they? This body, who has graciously taken time out of her leisure to visit?”

“Ah…”

“Yeah, let’s put that aside and look at the prices. 3 pounds, 5 pounds, 8 pounds….
The anger I had buried earlier is rising again?
Just for this petty amount of money, you’re explaining to me in detail how the entrance fee is structured, how the drinks change accordingly, and then telling me to order according to my means?”

Takasho’s mouth gradually opened at Periwinkle’s words.
Of course, there was no such intention in the three-tiered entrance fee.
It was to attract as many customers as possible by subdividing the basic cost.

For that purpose, the cheapest entrance fee of 3 pounds (about 2.52 million won) barely left any profit.
Honestly, even Siwoo didn’t expect a witch to think that way.

“Besides, the drinks they bring out are not high-end but ambiguous entry-level ones. I have one question. Why on earth is the champagne Dom Perignon? There are plenty of better ones.”

Takasho, who was sweating profusely from Periwinkle’s scathing criticism and being stabbed in an unexpected place, replied.

“W-well, it’s also a symbol of host bars… and if we go higher than that, the cost would be too high… more expensive liquors are for gifts and events…”
“That’s the second mistake.”

Periwinkle spread her second finger.

“This bar doesn’t understand the minds of the wealthy at all. Why are you trying to cater to witches of an ambiguous level when you’ve even opened a bar in Malkuth Gallery?”
“Witches of an ambiguous level? I never thought…”
“Attracting as many customers as possible? Good, that’s a very good idea. If your establishment was as big as a hotel, with enough capacity to have different qualities on each floor, that would be the best strategy. But it’s not, is it?”

Periwinkle’s non-stop barrage was so intense that even Siwoo, who was watching from the side, felt the damage.

“Considering the size of the bar, the customers you should be targeting are not the witches who just come and take up space and only pay the entrance fee. It’s the big spenders, the VVIPs. It’s better to secure one reliable customer than to have ten mediocre ones sitting around.”
“Is that so?”
“The wealthy don’t want rational consumption. They want to be recognized as someone special, even if they spend a lot of money. How about it? Shall I give you some more help?”

Periwinkle glanced at Siwoo with a “Wasn’t I cool?” look, and Siwoo was inwardly impressed.
Even Siwoo, who had invited her, had not expected her to find the problems so quickly.

“I would be very grateful!”
“Then~ how about we start with a nice glass of champagne?”
“I’ll bring it right away!”

Periwinkle’s alley host bar consulting had only just begun.