Week 26 - Wednesday

  Midweek, Theo continued his deliberate detachment from Maria's day-to-day operations. He checked the camera feeds maybe twice a day, once during the lunch setup, once during the evening peak, just long enough to confirm things were running smoothly. He saw Henry patiently showing Jenny how to handle the POS system during a lull. He saw Olivia expertly manage a customer who wanted a complex custom order, keeping them happy while ensuring the kitchen flow wasn't disrupted. He even saw a minor hiccup handled without fuss, the delivery driver for their soda supplier arrived an hour late, but Henry had already called the depot, confirmed the new ETA, and communicated it clearly to Olivia so she could manage customer expectations for specific drinks. They didn't need him.

  On Wednesday afternoon, Henry texted him.

  Henry: Hey boss. Me, Liv & Jenny talked about staffing like you suggested. Can you come in for a quick chat later today and we can sell you our proposal?

  Theo: Sounds good, I’ll come by around 4pm.

  Later that evening, Theo headed into Maria’s seeing the team mid huddle, prepping for the dinner rush.

  “Hey team, looks like you folks are running a tight ship here. Well done and keep it up. So I believe you folks have a proposal to sell to me?” Theo said. The team beamed at the compliments.

  Henry stepped forward slightly, clearly having prepared for this. "Actually boss, me, Liv, and Jenny talked about it quite a bit after the weekend rush," he began, more formally than usual. "We looked at the current hours, peak times, and how stretched we get, especially if someone needed a day off unexpectedly. We think adding just one part-timer might still leave us vulnerable, maybe just trading one type of stress for another."

  He paused, taking a breath before presenting their conclusion. "So, we were wondering… would you be open to us looking for two solid part-timers? Maybe aiming for around 15 to 20 hours each per week? That would give us a core team of five. It means we'd always have cover if someone calls out sick, people could actually book time off without crippling the schedule, and we could probably handle even bigger rushes more smoothly, maybe even extend weekend hours slightly down the line if the demand is there." He laid out the reasoning clearly, logically.

  Theo listened intently, weighing the proposal. Henry was right. Five staff members provided genuine operational resilience, reducing reliance on any single individual (including Henry himself) and mitigating the risk of burnout which could impact the consistent quality Theo demanded. The increased payroll cost was minimal, as it balances out with members take leave and scheduling the shifts amongst themselves as required. The potential cost of losing good staff like Henry or Olivia due to overwork, or having service collapse because someone got the flu, was arguably higher. It was a mature, manager-level suggestion.

  "Two part-timers," Theo repeated, considering the logistics. "Five total staff on a rotating basis... Yeah." He nodded decisively. "That makes operational sense. The flexibility is worth the extra cost right now. Good thinking on the cover and sustainability, Henry. Okay, proceed on that basis. Find two good ones who fit the team."

  Relief washed over Henry’s face, quickly replaced by focused determination. "Right! We'll get an ad up on the local job boards today and start screening. We can probably do initial interviews together later next week."

  "Sounds good," Theo confirmed, fully handing over the reins. "You three run the process, bring me your top two candidates with your reasoning." He paused, then added, a strategic thought surfacing. "And listen, Henry… while you're interviewing, keep your eyes open. Even if we only hire two right now, if you come across any other candidates who seem truly exceptional, maybe someone with previous kitchen management experience, or just someone with that same spark of initiative as you folks showed, someone who learns lightning fast, make a note. Keep their details discreetly on file." He kept his tone casual. "We might... uh... have other expansion opportunities down the line where building another solid team quickly will be crucial." Like when I need reliable staff for a certain fish and chip shop currently being driven into the ground, he thought, the predatory anticipation stirring again. Using this hiring round as a talent pool for his next acquisition felt ruthlessly efficient.

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  Henry just nodded seriously, accepting the task. "Got it, boss. Find two great ones now, keep an eye out for future stars. We can handle that."

  Theo left before the dinner rush, not wanting to distract the team any further. As he walked out, Theo felt another surge of satisfaction. It was working. Empowering the team, delegating responsibility… it wasn't just freeing up his time. It was making the business itself stronger, more resilient. And they knew what to check in on as well, just perfect.

  Week 26 - Thursday

  With Maria's humming along under Henry's command, Theo finally had the sustained mental bandwidth to dedicate to his next major project. The 'Tool Enhancement' strategy had proven effective, but applying it solely to low-margin food service felt like using a fusion reactor to power a toaster. He needed something with higher intrinsic value, where a +1 enhancement translated into hundreds, even thousands, of dollars of perceived worth.

  He revisited his research from earlier, dismissing collectibles and antiques again due to the authentication and proof challenges. His focus landed back on high-precision artisan tools. Specifically, the world of luthiery, crafting high-end guitars and violins. He spent hours diving into forums frequented by professional luthiers and serious hobbyists, absorbing their passionate debates about tonewoods, bracing patterns, and, crucially, the tools they revered.

  He learned about block planes used for shaping necks and archtops, finger planes for delicate carving, specialized chisels, scrapers, and saws, often costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars for premium examples from revered makers like Lie-Nielsen or Bridge City Tool Works. He read threads where artisans lamented microscopic inconsistencies in modern manufacturing, yearned for the legendary precision of antique tools, and debated endlessly about the subtle feel and feedback that separated a merely good tool from a truly great one.

  Here, Theo thought, eyes gleaming as he scrolled through detailed macro photos of hand-plane sole flatness tolerances. Here, a +1 matters. A plane with +1 Blade Sharpness/Edge Retention and +1 Sole Flatness/Precision? A chisel with +1 Hardness/Edge Durability? These wouldn't just be minor improvements; they would be perceivable advantages to a skilled user, offering unparalleled control and results. And the market? High-end, discerning, accustomed to paying premiums for perceived quality and performance, much like the cycling or GPU enthusiasts, but perhaps even more focused on tactile perfection.

  He identified a target for his first experiment: a high-quality, standard block plane from a reputable mid-tier manufacturer. Not cheap, maybe $150-$200, but a known quantity. He found one online, ordered it shipped to a newly acquired anonymous PO Box he’d set up for potential future ventures. While waiting for it to arrive, he started researching how luthiers evaluate tools, learning the terminology, understanding the subtle qualities they prized. He needed to be able to describe the benefits of his enhancement convincingly, even if the cause remained secret.

  During his research deep dive, the thought of his other new ability surfaced again. The timed Un-Enhance. Could it be applied here? Maybe offer an 'enhanced tool trial'? Send a luthier a +1 enhanced plane with a 7-day Un-Enhance timer? If they loved the performance, they pay a premium to make it permanent (requiring Theo to re-enhance it permanently)? Or perhaps a subscription model for access to a rotating library of temporarily +1 enhanced tools? The ideas felt complex, logistically challenging, potentially exposing. Too soon, he decided again. Enhance high-quality base tools, sell them as 'perfected' or 'master-tuned' examples at a significant markup is an option. But need to weigh the profit to time ratio. I have a winning strategy with the tool enhancements and a forward looking pipeline potentially with ‘Something Fishy’. These ideas are for the backlog which I can assess when the timing is right. But the potential of the Un-Enhance lingered, a powerful tool waiting for the right application.

  His phone buzzed. Sarah.

  Sarah: Hey! Just checking in – cameras all working okay? No more drama at the chicken empire? ??

  Theo: Hey Sarah. Cameras perfect, thanks again. And no drama, thankfully. Running smoothly. Henry's managing the day-to-day now, seems to be handling it well.

  Sarah: Awesome! Glad to hear it. Told you he seemed like a good hire! Meta is still Meta (ugh), but survived another week lol. Anyway, holler if you need anything else!

  Theo: Will do. Appreciate it.

  Brief. Professional. Maintaining the connection without revealing anything significant. Perfect.