As the morning rush settled, the hotel staff took a brief break before the mid-day customers arrived. Aman checked the counter and saw that nearly half the Rusk packs were gone, along with a few Butter Cookies and Coconut Cookies. The Almond Biscuits had sold the least, but it was still too early to judge.
At around 11 AM, the second wave of customers trickled in—mostly office workers grabbing a late breakfast and a fresh round of tea and coffee. A few of them noticed the cookie jars while waiting for their orders.
A middle-aged man, sipping his tea, called Aman over. "That Coconut Cookie—is it homemade?"
"Yes," Aman replied. "Freshly baked this morning."
The man nodded and took a pack, adding it to his bill. "I'll take this with me. Something light for office tea breaks."
Another customer, a young woman working nearby, pointed at the Butter Cookies. "Are they like regular bakery biscuits?"
"A little richer, with more butter," Aman explained. "They go well with coffee."
She added them to her order and smiled. "Let's see if they're better than the usual ones."
By the time noon approached, Aman sent another update to Bani:
"Rusk and Butter Cookies are bestsellers. Coconut is doing okay. Almond is slow. Let's see how evening tea time goes."
Afternoon Lull and Restocking
After lunch, the hotel had a quiet phase where only a few customers trickled in. Aman used this time to adjust the counter display, making sure the cookies looked neatly arranged.
At 2:30 PM, their father came to check on things. "How are the sales?"
"Rusk and Butter Cookies are moving the fastest," Aman reported. "Coconut is getting some attention. Almond is the slowest."
Their father nodded. "That makes sense. People like simple flavors with their tea and coffee."
"Should we reduce the Almond Biscuits?" Aman asked.
"Let's wait until the evening crowd," their father said. "Some customers might prefer them for a light snack before dinner."
Meanwhile, Bani was already preparing a fresh batch of Rusk and Butter Cookies at home. Since these were selling well, she planned to send more to the hotel in the evening.
Evening Tea Time Sales
By 4:30 PM, the hotel was buzzing again. Evening tea time brought in college students, office workers, and locals who gathered for a quick chai break.
A group of elderly men who often visited in the evenings for a chat sat down with their tea. One of them pointed at the Rusk jar. "This reminds me of the old bakery rusk. Let's try a pack."
Aman handed it over, and soon the group was dipping the rusks into their tea, discussing politics and daily news as they enjoyed the crunch.
Meanwhile, a young man ordering a strong coffee noticed the Butter Cookies. "I'll take one pack with my coffee," he said. "Let's see if it's better than the usual biscuits."
By 6 PM, nearly all the Rusk packs were sold out, and only two Butter Cookie packs remained. The Coconut Cookies were at a steady pace, while the Almond Biscuits still had several untouched packs.
Aman sent another message to Bani:
"Need more Rusk and Butter Cookies for tomorrow. Coconut is fine. Almond isn't selling much."
Bani replied: "Got it. I'll prepare fresh ones tonight."
As the evening went on, Aman felt satisfied. The experiment had worked. Now, they just needed to adjust their stock based on customer demand, and their small bakery addition to the hotel was on the right track.