They spent another twenty minutes refining the concept, discussing the menu layout ("Keep it uncluttered, easy to read from a distance"), initial marketing angles ("Focus on 'Under New Management', 'Back to Basics', 'Perfectly Done Classics'"), and the importance of high-quality food photography for the launch ("Seriously Theo, need amazing photos for Instagram," Sarah stressed).

  By the time they finished their bubble teas, Theo felt a renewed sense of clarity and excitement about the new venture, fuelled by Sarah's infectious enthusiasm and sharp branding instincts. He reiterated his offer to pay for her time.

  Sarah waved it away again with a genuine smile. "Honestly? This was way more fun than debugging ad algorithms. Consider it payment in the form of guaranteed amazing fish and chips when you open! Just promise me you'll nail the batter. Let me know when you have photos of the renovated space."

  "Deal," Theo grinned back, the expression feeling less forced than usual.

  Tuesday evening, Theo leaned back from his laptop, the numbers for the 'Old School' plumbing repairs blurring slightly. His thoughts kept drifting back to his meeting with Sarah. Not just her sharp branding ideas, but her vivid description of the "synergized dumpster fire" her job at Meta had become. The incompetent new boss, the exodus of experienced engineers, the crushing workload mixed with mind-numbing corporate bureaucracy… It sounded worse than even his final, toxic months at the bank.

  What a complete waste, he thought, frowning. All that intelligence, that drive and creative energy he saw when she talked about her cycling project or brainstormed shop names, currently being squandered on optimizing ad algorithms under managers who likely couldn't code their way out of a paper bag. He remembered the genuine stress in her eyes, the forced brightness failing to mask the burnout.

  The thought surfaced, unbidden but persistent: Could I actually offer her an out? Not just vague promises of future collaboration, but a real role within his rapidly, if secretly, expanding operation? Running the marketing and online presence for both Maria's and 'Old School'? Overseeing tech implementations like POS systems or online ordering platforms? Maybe even helping with strategic planning as he looked towards acquiring more businesses?

  He immediately considered the financials. He couldn't match a Meta salary, not even close, not yet. The pay cut for her would be substantial. The prestige non-existent. The security? Arguably less stable than a tech giant, even one undergoing layoffs.

  But, he countered his own pragmatism, would she even care about the money that much right now? She sounded desperate to escape, to do something tangible, something she felt mattered, even on a small scale. Working flexible hours, helping build two local businesses from the ground up, having direct impact, escaping the corporate hell… maybe the improvement to her mental health and sense of fulfillment would outweigh the smaller pay check?

  And from his perspective, the selfish perspective, his inner analyst clarified the benefits were obvious. Her skills were exactly what he lacked and would increasingly need as he scaled. Marketing, branding, tech implementation, strategic thinking… she was sharp, reliable, and seemingly trustworthy (though his definition of trust remained heavily conditional). Having her officially on board, focused on growing his ventures… the potential value was immense.

  The risk, of course, was the secret. Could he work that closely with someone so intelligent without them eventually noticing the inconsistencies, the impossibly optimized equipment, the unusual success rate? It felt dangerous. Too soon. He needed 'Old School' operational, both shops generating strong, stable cash flow, and maybe one more venture secured before he could afford the luxury, and the risk, of bringing someone like Sarah fully into the fold.

  He filed the idea away again, but this time it felt less like a distant possibility and more like a concrete medium-term strategic goal. Phase 1: Stabilize Maria's, Launch Old School. Phase 2: Generate significant cash buffer. Phase 3: Explore creating a specific role for Sarah, tailor a venture she'd be passionate about that also benefits from +1. Phase 4: World domination. He allowed himself a small, cold smile. One step at a time. But the possibility felt real now.

  Week 28 - Wednesday

  Wednesday brought crisis. Theo was knee-deep in sawdust and plaster dust at 'Old School', overseeing Mike’s crew patching the water-damaged drywall, when his personal phone rang, shrill and insistent. Henry. His gut clenched instantly.

  "Theo? Boss! We got a problem!" Henry’s voice was tight with panic. "The rotisserie! It just… stopped! Middle of cooking a full load for the lunch rush! Making this awful grinding noise, smells like burning metal!"

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  "Fuuuuck." Theo swore silently, pinching the bridge of his nose. He’d known the machine was old, even with the +1 enhancement, but he hadn't expected a catastrophic failure this soon. "Okay, Henry. Stay calm. Turn off the main power to it immediately. Put up a 'Chicken Temporarily Unavailable' sign. Apologize to waiting customers. I'm on my way."

  He barked instructions at the surprised contractor ("Keep working! I'll be back!"), jumped in his car, and sped towards Maria's, ignoring speed limits, his mind racing. Lost sales. Angry customers. Emergency repair costs. The smooth operation he’d felt so smug about just yesterday felt suddenly, dangerously fragile.

  He arrived to find a scene of stressed competence. Olivia was calmly explaining the situation to disappointed customers at the counter, offering discounted chip orders. Jenny was anxiously watching the silent, half-cooked chickens still sitting in the dead rotisserie. Henry was on the phone, frantically trying to find an emergency appliance repair service available immediately.

  "Got one!" Henry announced as Theo walked in. "Commercial guys, specialize in rotisseries. Said they can have someone here within the hour, but… emergency call-out fee is steep."

  "Pay it," Theo snapped, already assessing the situation. "We need this fixed ASAP."

  The technician arrived forty-five minutes later, confirming Theo's fears after a quick inspection. "Yep. Drive belt finally shredded," the tech announced, pulling out a blackened, frayed piece of rubber. "Looks ancient. And this main gear here?" He pointed to a stripped metal cog. "Worn clean through. Honestly, surprised it lasted this long under constant commercial use. You've been running this thing hard, huh?"

  Theo just nodded grimly, ignoring the implicit question of how it had performed so well until now. "Can you fix it?"

  "Yeah, got the parts on the truck," the tech confirmed. "Gonna take a couple hours though. Need to replace the belt, the drive gear, check the motor alignment."

  Two agonizing hours and several hundred dollars later (including the hefty emergency fee), the rotisserie was turning again, humming smoothly. But the damage was done. They’d lost the entire lunch rush and most of the afternoon trade. Theo estimated at least $1000-$1200 in lost revenue, plus the repair cost. A painful reminder.

  As Theo locked up late Wednesday night after a salvaged but subdued dinner service, the lesson resonated deeply. +1 makes things work better, more consistently. It doesn't make them immortal. It doesn't replace worn-out parts or negate basic physics. He’d been relying on the enhancement to overcome the machine's age, pushing it hard every day. He needed proactive maintenance. He needed… maybe… upgrades.

  Week 28 - Thursday

  Thursday morning, Theo gathered Henry, Olivia, and Jenny before opening Maria's. The mood was still slightly deflated after yesterday's shutdown.

  "Okay," Theo began, "yesterday was a wake-up call. That rotisserie is old. The tech said this kind of mechanical failure could happen again, especially with the volume we're doing." He leaned against the counter. "Which brings us to a decision. We can keep relying on this repaired machine and hope for the best, implementing a stricter maintenance schedule. Or," he paused, "we invest in a new one."

  He saw their eyes widen. "I looked into it last night after the tech left," Theo continued. "New commercial rotisseries aren't cheap. But there are larger models available, ones that could handle maybe three hundred chickens instead of our current two hundred max. Significantly increases potential output, probably more reliable being brand new." He looked directly at Henry. "But it's a big capital expense – several thousand dollars we could be using for the fish shop launch or other things. Henry, as manager, what's your gut feeling? Are we consistently losing significant sales on weekends now by selling out the 200 prep? Could we actually sell 300 if we had the capacity?"

  Henry considered it seriously. "Honestly, boss? Yeah. Last two Sundays we sold out way too early. Saturday was close. I think, especially if the desserts keep pulling people in, we could sell 300 on a peak Saturday or Sunday. It would be insane, need more staff maybe, but the demand feels like it's there. Plus, not having to worry about this old thing breaking down again during a rush?" He gestured towards the repaired rotisserie. "That peace of mind alone might be worth it."

  Olivia nodded in agreement. "We definitely turn away disappointed people every weekend now because we sell out. And explaining the rotisserie was down yesterday was tough." Jenny remained quiet but watched intently.

  "Okay," Theo said, absorbing their input. "Appreciate the perspective. Let me think about the numbers, the financing. No decision today. But it's on the table." Involving them in a major strategic decision felt right, building their investment in the shop's future.

  He then pivoted. "On a related note… staffing 'Old School Fish & Chips'." He quickly outlined the plan to open in Week 30 or 31. "Launching strong needs experienced hands. Henry, you're crucial here. But Olivia, Jenny," he addressed them, "assuming the new hires Alex and Maya are fully trained here in the next couple of weeks… would either of you be interested in helping launch the new shop? It would mean more hours, learning a new menu, maybe splitting time between both places eventually? Could even lead to a supervisor role there down the line. No pressure, just want to know who might be interested in the opportunity."

  Olivia's eyes lit up immediately. "A fish and chip shop? Cool! Yeah, Theo, I'd definitely be interested in learning something new!"

  Jenny looked more hesitant. "Um… it sounds interesting," she said slowly. "But with my nursing studies… I don't know if I could handle way more hours right now. Maybe some occasional shifts to help out?"

  "Totally understand, Jenny," Theo reassured her. "Studies come first. Just wanted to put it out there. Okay, good to know." He mentally noted Olivia's enthusiasm, potential lead for the second shop? Valuable data point.