"A rising sun must burn with heat, and a setting sun must fade with grace."
In the spirit of those words, 2018 was a year that began with fire and concluded with the beauty of accomplishment. It was a meaningful chapter in my life.
This marked my third year in the culinary world—a period dedicated to cementing the fundamentals of hospitality. It was a year of understanding the delicate mechanics of the market and the hearts of my guests. I focused on optimizing the rhythm of the kitchen and the flow of service. By the end, I felt a quiet confidence, sensing I had finally reached the level of a true professional.
Reflecting on the tangible changes achieved throughout 2018, I record them here.
Guests:
1. Guest Evaluations
- As of today, we maintain a 4.8 rating from 114 guests who booked through our primary reservation system.
- To maintain a 4.8 average from over 100 people who have paid for their own dining experience is a rare and humbling achievement.
Reservation System Screen Capture (As of 2018.12.31)
2. Guest Demographics
- Our guest base has diversified to include more family gatherings, corporate dinners, and business meetings.
- Notably, we have become a destination for young couples and those on first dates.
- The overall energy of the restaurant has become younger and more vibrant.
Facilities:
3. New Wood and Steel Tables
- We replaced 6 tables in the main hall, including auxiliary tables, with solid wood and iron frames.
- Guests have noted the atmosphere now feels like a sophisticated café.
4. Upgraded Seating
- Every chair was replaced with a more comfortable armchair design.
- We introduced a color palette for each table: Yellow for the first, Orange for the second, Green for the third, and Red for the fourth.
- Guests often comment on the comfort, allowing them to enjoy their meals at a more leisurely pace.
5. Counter and Private Room Seating
- At the counter, we reduced seating from four teams to three. While we host fewer people, each guest now enjoys a far more spacious and comfortable experience.
- Each counter chair now features a distinct color.
- We replaced old floor seating in the private rooms with top-tier premium chairs.
6. Interior Refinishing
- After three years, we refreshed the space with new paint and wallpaper.
- The result is a crisp, clean environment for our diners.
7. Audio System Upgrade
- We replaced our old sound system with a Bose setup featuring one amplifier and four speakers.
- The depth and clarity of the sound have improved significantly.
- Some guests have noticed the difference, mentioning how the music brings back fond memories of first loves.
8. Tableware Replacement
- Individual plates: Upgraded to premium Japanese ceramics (12,000 KRW per piece).
- Utensils: Changed to gold-toned titanium chopsticks.
- Serving boards: Commissioned custom cypress wood boards to serve each piece individually.
This was one of the most significant changes of 2018.
Cuisine:
9. The Tuna
- We stabilized our supply chain by securing premium selections through cash transactions.
- We improved our thawing techniques for red meat to better serve our guests.
- Our focus has shifted entirely to quality over volume: perfect thawing, generous thickness, and meticulous moisture control.
- We have moved away from being a "refill" restaurant, establishing ourselves as a place that provides the art of sincere service.
10. Spirits
- We prepared 1 million KRW worth of homemade plum wine for guest tastings, consuming roughly one jar per month.
- We have standardized our welcome tasting to this single variety of plum wine.
Management:
11. Lunch Service
- We removed several casual Korean menu items from our lunch offerings.
Items like roe stew, roe rice bowls, cod stews, and sashimi bowls were discontinued.
- While lunch revenue dropped significantly, our perspective changed.
- Lunch is now a quiet time of preparation for the evening festival.
12. Revenue
- Dinner service now accounts for 95% of our total revenue.
- Overall revenue increased by approximately 15% compared to the previous year.
13. Staffing
- Our team consists of one head chef, one kitchen manager, two servers, and one part-timer for busy reservations.
- We adjusted start times for the kitchen team to between 10:00 and 10:30.
- Server shifts were reorganized into two blocks.
Shift 1: 10:30 – 22:30 | Shift 2: 16:30 – 01:00
Staff rotate between these blocks on a bi-weekly basis to ensure balance.
14. Guest Relationship Management
- We maintained our established guest care patterns.
- The proportion of reservation-based guests has increased.
- We have accumulated a database of 11,840 guests (including reservations, parking requests, and inquiries).
- We reached out to our guests twice via messaging services in 2018.
15. What is Goldtuna?
- We remain "Goldtuna, where every meal has a story."