The White Elephant, Episode 14, Clever "

Ceilia
So, we need to talk about the restaurant. As you know business isn’t great so I’m looking for some good ideas to make us more efficient and help us save money. Please have a think and let me know.

Gordon
It’s obvious. Peter, we’ll have to let you go. Mary, you can serve the food AND wash up afterwards.

Mary
Hold on Gordon. That’s not fair. Peter’s a hardworking waiter. And besides, I’ve got too much to do here. No, we need to think ‘out of the box’, so to speak.

Peter
Yes, good idea Mary… Sorry, what box?

Mary
It means we need to think a bit differently, not just assume we need to cut people’s jobs.

Gordon
Come on then clever clogs, what are we going to do? Get cheaper ingredients, turn the gas down a bit?

Peter
I know, we can stop putting salt and pepper on the table - nobody uses it anyway.

Gordon
What a brainwave - we’ll save millions! You idiot.

Mary
Oh, I know! We could buy organic ingredients and charge a bit extra for them - plus we could offer a set menu to attract new customers and hopefully they’ll tell their friends about how great it is here.

Peter
Yes! It’s the best idea since sliced bread!

Gordon
Is it? Sliced bread’s the only thing we’ll be serving with that ridiculous idea. Mary, you’re too clever by half. Organic food, honestly, it’s so ‘last year’.

Mary
Have you got any better suggestions Gordon?

Peter
Ceilia… Mary’s come up with a great idea. Organic set menu and…

Mary
Right, we offer a set menu, to attract new customers, serving organic food that we charge a bit extra for.

Ceilia
That’s a great idea Mary. I knew you were a smart cookie when I employed you.

Gordon
But… but… I’m going to have to change suppliers and come up with new stuff for the set menu. How is that a clever idea?

Ceilia
Well, extra customers means extra money and that means an extra bonus for us all at the end of the year.

Gordon
Oh well… yes… organic food - that is a very clever idea of mine. I’ll just go and make some calls, shall I?