Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 287 Back in Town

"Oh, by the way, Hattie came back to school a month before you did, but she hasn't been attending classes, just keeping her enrollment status." Previously, Zelena had targeted Kaylee, causing her to lose her single dorm room. The counsellor's efforts secured Kaylee a spot in a regular dorm. Kaylee had moved out of Liberty Grove.

Despite this, she left her three-coloured cat, Cleopatra, in the apartment. It was now being taken care of by the housekeeper.

"Cleopatra?"

"Yes, I named the cat Cleopatra. Haha, she's the beauty of the three-coloured cats, so Cleopatra seemed appropriate."

"That's quite a good name."

Originally, Violeta planned to return to Quinston and go home at once.

When she heard Kaylee mention that Zelena had opened a shop right across from her café, she changed her mind and decided to check out this new shop. The car dropped them off at Toland University.

Violeta didn't enter the campus. Instead, she turned towards Sunset Café with Kaylee.

Along the way, her phone kept buzzing. Violeta went out to check.

It was a message from Zoren, who had heard about her return in the group chat. Violeta replied briefly, 'Yes, I'm back. Let's have dinner later.'

Zoren replied, 'Yohoo! The superstar is back! Can I still have dinner with you, superstar?'

Violeta sent him an emoji, and she placed her phone back in her pocket.

The chat continued, but she didn't pay it any more attention.

Arriving at Sunset Café, the familiar sign greeted her. When Fiona saw Violeta through the glass, she happily came out to welcome her. "Violeta, you're back!"

Violeta smiled at Fiona and said, "Yes, I'm back."

Then she noticed a new shop across the street with a sign reading 'The Breeze'.

It sold a variety of items, including skewers, cold drinks, ice cream, cakes, etc.

It offered a variety of foods at a low price.

Naturally, it attracted many students, who were mostly on tight budgets, except for a few wealthy ones.

Zelena could open a shop, but opening it right across from Sunset Café was clearly an attempt to steal business.

She named it 'The Breeze' to mimic Sunset Café.

This was too obvious!

Wait a minute! In her previous life, Zelena hadn't developed her side business so quickly.

This time, she was ahead of schedule.

Violeta lowered her eyes and pondered this.

Fiona's voice interrupted her

thoughts. She said, "Ever since she

opened her shop, it's been

competing with ours. Since our coffee costs the same as a fulkmeal there, many students have been choosing to visit her shop instead.

"But fortunately, we still have some loyal customers."

In business, retaining loyal customers was crucial.

This area wasn't a bustling tourist spot with a constant flow of new visitors.

Despite experiencing a full house in the past, the current drop in business naturally left Fiona a bit disappointed.

Fiona continued, "But Vio, this isn't sustainable. Should we consider lowering our prices?"

"Absolutely not."

Violeta immediately rejected Fiona's

suggestion Our coffee prices

remain as they are. We only offer discounts during the holidays. We can introduce new limited-time items, but the old ones stay at the same price."

Kaylee remained silent.

Violeta continued, "Why should we let others affect us? What she charges is her business. We know our ingredients and costs. Quality items deserve a higher price."

She didn't know why Zelena suddenly wanted to open a shop.

However, her plan to undercut Sunset Café was misguided.

Violeta wouldn't lower the prices.

They used renowned Mesir coffee beans, as well as beans from Culobia.

With such high raw material costs, lowering prices would squeeze their profit margins, essentially selling high-end products at low-end prices, which Violeta refused to do. "Our coffee sells well as it is. There's no need to lower the prices."

Fiona was persuaded by Violeta. Indeed, their café didn't lack customers.

Though business wasn't as

satisfactory as before, the shop was small. Following Violeta's purchase of the property, she also acquired and connected the second floor Fiona was the only regular

would help out.

employee. Occasionally ed

Aside from daily operational costs, employee expenses were minimal.

The café was usually quiet and needed a few staff.

In contrast, the shop across the street was noisy every day, employing five staff members. Their operational costs and wages must be considerable.

Since their shop's fundamentals were stable, there was no need to engage in a price war.

"Yes, Violeta, you're right. I was being foolish."

Violeta smiled at Fiona and said, "My dad promised to help me open a chain. Rest assured, since we're going the high-end route, there's no need to compete with lower-end businesses." "Alright."

After checking the shop, Violeta and Kaylee headed to the university.

First, they greeted the counselor. The counsellor was delighted to see Violeta. After all, he considered her the most promising among her peers.