The White Elephant 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?

Vocabulary