Week 21 - Monday
Monday morning. Theo and Henry convened before opening.
"Okay," Theo said, looking at their prep sheets. "Weekdays are definitely quieter than weekends. But we sold out Monday and Tuesday last week with 90-100 capacity. Let's prep for 100 today and see what happens."
"Sounds good," Henry nodded. "Think we'll need more help soon though, especially if weekends keep getting crazier?"
"Been thinking the same thing," Theo admitted. "Let's see how today and tomorrow go. If we sell out easily again, we pull the trigger on hiring someone else before next weekend."
They prepped the 100 chickens. And by 7:30 PM Monday evening, they were gone. Sold out mid-dinner rush, turning away another stream of disappointed customers.
"Right," Theo said, wiping down the counter after the last chip order left. "That settles it. We need another person, at least for evenings and weekends."
Week 21 - Tuesday
Tuesday followed the same pattern. They prepped for 100, meticulously ensuring quality, and sold the last chicken just after 8 PM. The demand was consistently outstripping their two-person capacity, even on supposedly slower weeknights.
"Okay," Theo said, pulling out his phone. "Time to make the call." He scrolled through his contacts, finding the number he'd saved for Tammy, the experienced but intense candidate. She was the most qualified on paper for immediate impact. He dialled.
"Tammy? Hi, it's Theo Sterling from Maria's Charcoal Chicken."
"Oh, hi Theo!" Tammy's voice was sharp, alert. "Was wondering if I'd hear from you."
"Yeah, sorry for the delay. Things have been… unexpectedly busy," Theo understated. "Listen, the position is still open, and based on our volume, we definitely need another experienced hand, especially for evenings and weekends. Are you still interested?"
"Definitely," Tammy confirmed quickly. "When would you need me to start?"
"How's Thursday look? We could really use the help ramping up for the weekend."
"Thursday works perfectly. What time?"
They confirmed the details, agreed on the same starting wage as Henry ($10/hr) with similar performance incentive potential. Theo hung up, feeling another wave of nervous anticipation. Adding another personality to the mix… hopefully it would work out.
Just then, his phone pinged with a text. Sarah.
Sarah: Hey Theo! Crazy week just got crazier, huge project deadline dropped on my new team. Ugh. Looks like I probably won't be able to swing by the shop this week after all :( Super bummed, was looking forward to more chicken & brainstorming! Can we raincheck for sometime next week maybe? So sorry!
Theo read it, feeling a mixture of slight disappointment and relief. Part of him had been curious to see her reaction to the shop's progress, but another part was glad to postpone navigating the complexities of their interaction while juggling new staff and booming sales.
Theo: Hey Sarah. No worries at all! Totally understand work deadlines. Things are hectic here anyway. Next week sounds good, just let me know when works. Good luck with the project!
He pocketed the phone. One less thing to worry about this week.
Week 21 - Wednesday
Wednesday, Theo and Henry prepped for 120 sales, anticipating Tammy's arrival tomorrow. Business remained strong, but didn't quite hit the sell-out highs of Monday and Tuesday. They ended the night with 109 sales, leaving eleven unsold chicken portions.
"Waste not, want not," Theo declared, looking at the perfectly cooked, unsold chicken. On impulse, remembering the goodwill generated by quality food, he grabbed some takeaway containers. "Come on, let's make some friends." He and Henry spent the next twenty minutes delivering the leftover chicken and chips, still warm and delicious thanks to the enhanced equipment, to the neighbouring small businesses that were still open. The late-night convenience store, the bar down the street, even the slightly surprised crew at the all-night gas station. Small gestures, building local bridges.
Week 21 - Thursday
Thursday. Tammy arrived promptly for her first shift, looking sharp and ready. Her intensity was immediately apparent. Within the first hour, Theo noticed her… quirks. She insisted on arranging the chickens on the rotisserie skewers with meticulous, almost obsessive precision ("Optimal heat circulation requires alignment, Theo!"). She critiqued Henry's (perfectly adequate) chip-salting technique, demonstrating her own preferred method involving a dramatic flourish reminiscent of 'Salt Bae' ("Ensures even crystal distribution!"). She reorganized the entire under-counter storage area based on her own 'efficiency logic'.
Theo watched, amused and slightly wary. She was undeniably knowledgeable, picking up the workflow quickly and offering smart suggestions for streamlining prep. But her pedantic nature and occasional sharp comments towards Henry (who took it with good-natured shrugs) hinted at potential friction. A bit OCD, Theo diagnosed internally. But effective. As long as she didn't disrupt the core process or challenge his authority too much, her quirks were tolerable if they came with competence.
With three people now working the evening shift (Theo overseeing, Henry on counter/fryer, Tammy focusing on prep and rotisserie management), they aimed higher, prepping for 150 sales. The dinner rush was busy, but the extra hands made a huge difference. They handled the volume smoothly, ending the night with 140 sales and minimal stress.