She explained Option A: Reporting the reviews to Google/Yelp. "You flag them as fake, provide evidence if you have any, like showing they were all posted in a short time frame from new accounts, using similar language, making verifiable false claims like 'rats' when you just passed a health inspection, etc. But," she warned, "it's a slow, bureaucratic process. These platforms get millions of reports. Getting fake reviews removed from a small business quickly? It’s tough. Sometimes lawyers help, but often it's just a waiting game."

  Theo nodded grimly. That sounded frustratingly ineffective. "Option B?"

  "Option B," Sarah continued, leaning forward slightly, "is figuring out why. Follow the motive, follow the money. Someone benefits from tanking your reputation right when you're getting popular. Who?" She started tapping rapidly on her tablet, pulling up local map data, searching business listings. "Think local competitors. Who else sells similar food nearby? Who would have seen your weekend lines and felt the pinch?"

  She quickly identified three other takeaway places within a ten-block radius – a pizza joint, a burger place, and another fish and chip shop Theo vaguely remembered seeing, called 'Something Fishy'. Sarah started cross-referencing their own recent reviews.

  "Pizza place, burger joint… normal review patterns, mix of good and bad, nothing unusual," she murmured, scrolling. "But this one… 'Something Fishy'…" She paused, zooming in. "Okay, this is interesting. Look." She turned the tablet towards Theo. "They've also had a sudden surge in reviews over the past two weeks. But almost all five-stars. Lots of generic praise – 'Great value!', 'Best fish in town!', 'Friendly service!' – posted by accounts with few or no other reviews. And the timing… starts just before your big weekend rush, like they were trying to build hype, maybe got overshadowed, and then your place gets bombed Sunday night?"

  Theo stared at the screen, connecting the dots Sarah laid out. The timing was suspicious. The coordinated-looking positive reviews for the rival felt like the flip side of the negative attack on his shop.

  "If I were a betting woman," Sarah said, tapping the screen, "I'd say 'Something Fishy' felt threatened by your sudden success and decided to play dirty. Looks suss, as the Aussies say." (Theo mentally corrected her – not looks, definitely is suss!) "But honestly, Theo?" She sighed, putting the tablet down. "Even if you're 99% sure it was them, proving it is basically impossible. And confronting them? Just creates more drama."

  She took a sip of her latte. "My advice? Focus on recovery. What we did with that one negative review? Do that for all the fake ones you can. Reply politely, professionally state the claims are false, maybe mention your recent health inspection score if it was good. Then, bury them with genuine positive reviews. Encourage your happy customers, maybe offer a small discount on their next order if they leave an honest review? And keep up the social media Olivia is learning. Good content and genuine engagement will outweigh the fakes over time. This should just be a small blip if the food stays this good."

  Theo felt a wave of relief mixed with simmering anger. Sarah’s pragmatic approach settled his nerves about the reviews. Treat it as a manageable problem, not an existential threat. But knowing, with near certainty, who likely did it… that stoked the cold fire of his vindictiveness. Something Fishy. He filed the name away.

  "That… makes sense, Sarah. Thanks. Seriously." He paused, then had another thought, prompted by the theft. "On a different note… this whole situation made me realize I need better security at the shop. Any chance you know about installing basic security cameras? Inside and out?"

  Sarah’s eyes lit up again, shifting easily from marketing to tech. "Oh yeah, totally! Easy peasy. Tons of great DIY or professionally installed options now, cloud storage, motion alerts, night vision… Definitely a smart move for any small business." She pulled out her phone. "Let me look up a couple of recommended systems, compare features… I can put together some options for you, maybe even help with the setup if you want? We can sort out the cost then."

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "That would be incredible," Theo said gratefully. "Just… basic, reliable, covers the counter and the front/back doors."

  "Got it. I'll send you some links next week."

  They finished their coffees and snacks, the conversation drifting back to Sarah’s work stress and Theo carefully deflecting questions about his own 'consulting' projects. As they left the cafe, Theo felt a renewed sense of purpose. The review bombing was an annoyance to be managed. The theft was a lesson learned. Security cameras were coming. And 'Something Fishy'? They were now firmly on his radar. Revenge, he mused, was a dish best served cold… perhaps with perfectly cooked chips. The coffee, he noted as they parted ways, had been surprisingly good, even without a +1. Wicked, even.

  Back at the shop, the evening rush was building. Theo relayed Sarah’s advice on handling the reviews to Olivia, who immediately started drafting polite, professional responses. They pushed through the service, selling 118 chicken sets and, remarkably, 84 orders of Henry’s deep-fried desserts, which were clearly developing a cult following already.

  Week 23 - Wednesday

  Wednesday. Theo woke with a plan solidifying in his mind. Sarah’s deduction about ‘Something Fishy’ felt right. He needed confirmation, needed to look the owner in the eye. He spent the morning reviewing his notes from Sarah, thinking about security camera placement, and also reflecting on Henry’s performance. The kid was solid gold, hardworking, enthusiastic, full of ideas like the desserts, and showing real leadership potential. He worked seamlessly with Olivia, their positive energies complementing each other. Maybe, Theo thought, once the cameras are in, I can actually start training Henry to manage the day-to-day? Step back a bit? Free up my time, my +1 charges, for… other opportunities? The itch to find the next big play, something beyond the admittedly profitable but labour-intensive chicken shop, was growing stronger. This place was proving the Tool Enhancement model, building capital. But it wasn't the billion-dollar endgame.

  They prepped for 150 sets. The day felt smoother, more routine. Olivia handled the counter like a seasoned pro. Henry kept the fryer and rotisserie humming. They sold 130 chicken sets and 81 desserts. Things were definitely recovering from the review bomb dip. The repeat customer rate seemed high. People clearly trusted the taste over anonymous online slander.

  As they were closing up, Theo addressed Henry and Olivia. "Listen," he began, "I know last weekend ended rough with the Tammy situation and those fake reviews. But you guys have been incredible this week, really stepped up." He saw them both straighten slightly, looking pleased. "Morale felt a bit low, understandably. How about tomorrow night, after closing, we all grab some proper dinner? Pizza maybe? My treat. To thank you for the hard work, and officially welcome Jenny too."

  Henry grinned. "Sounds awesome, boss!" Olivia nodded enthusiastically. Seeing their genuine appreciation, Theo felt another flicker of that unfamiliar warmth. Maybe building a team wasn’t purely transactional after all.

  Week 23 - Thursday

  Thursday. Jenny arrived for her first official shift in the late afternoon, looking nervous but determined. Theo introduced her properly to Henry and Olivia, who both welcomed her warmly. Theo reiterated his instructions: "Learn the basics tonight, ask questions, don't worry about speed yet. Focus on getting it right."

  Around lunchtime, Theo put his reconnaissance plan into action. "Henry, Olivia," he said, taking off his apron. "Need to step out for an hour or two, some business errands. You guys good holding down the fort?"

  "No problem, boss!" Henry assured him. "We got this."

  Theo nodded, grabbed his keys, and headed out. He drove the few blocks over to where 'Something Fishy', the rival fish and chip shop, was located. It looked… adequate. Less rundown than Maria’s had been under Jono, but nothing special. Standard chippy décor, smell of frying fish hanging heavy in the air. He pushed the door open.

  A portly man with thinning hair and shifty eyes looked up from behind the counter, where he was reading a newspaper. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly for a fraction of a second when he saw Theo, then his expression smoothed into one of bland customer service inquiry. Bingo. He recognized me, Theo thought, even though they'd never met. He must have scouted Maria's during its resurgence.

  "What can I get for ya?" the owner asked, folding his paper with deliberate slowness.

  "Yeah, let me get the standard fish and chips," Theo said, scanning the menu board. "Extra chicken salt on the chips. And uh… add a dim sim and two potato cakes." Classic takeaway order.