Follow up on Vegan Stove

In this week's update there was a new appliance called the Vegan Stove.

The Vegan Stove costs 60,000 coins and requires 8 Green Nozzles and 12 Pastels to construct. TeamLava have fixed an error which meant that Green Nozzles didn't show up in the gift list - they now do along with Pastels so you can recieve both via gifts as well as accepted requests.

There are three new recipes to get busy with. Here they are:

First recipe for Vegan Stove

Second recipe for Vegan Stove

Third recipe for Vegan Stove

It's good that the three dishes have varying durations (in multiples of three) with both the Veggie Dumplings and Roasted Parsnips being viable for cooking overnight if necessary. Plus they're very different from the six short term recipes released during the Gran-Gran goals which is welcomed.

The portion sizes and resulting income are also good, while the dishes themselves do look nice, although I'm not sure why the Fruit Kebabs have to be so green - some other colours of fruit would have been great (although now I'm just being picky).

Overall, it's ticking the boxes for me, and I ain't a vegan!

Game update: 29/05/13

Another week, another update. The Spring theme is unrelenting, even with June days away.

Notification for the latest Spring themed update

That's right, the latest update is another Spring orientated one. I can't help but yawn at this stage.

Anyway, here's the full list of new stuff:

Tables:

• Patio Table - 17,000 coins

Chairs:

• Patio Chair - 2 gems
• Spring Chair - 16,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Floral Settee - 24 gems (limited time offer)

Appliances:

• Vegan Stove - 60,000 coins

Counters:

• Patio Counter - 10 gems
• Spring Counter - 40,000 coins

Note that the Spring Table (which goes with the new Spring Chair) was released two weeks ago for some reason. Also, the Floral Settee is available for 5 days only (from Wednesday).

The Vegan Stove is a constructible appliance with the necessary components to build it being 8 Green Nozzles and 12 Pastels, both of which are new. Originally only the Pastels could be gifted and to obtain Green Nozzles you had to rely on accepted requests, but TeamLava have since fixed this - now Green Nozzles have joined Pastels at the end of the gift list.

For details on the recipes the Vegan Stove yields, click here.

On to some analysis, and I'm rather put out to be honest. This time last week I was bursting with optimism that TeamLava had finally realised it was summer, but this week we seem to have headed straight back to Spring.

It leads me to believe that the game's developers don't understand the nature of the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere or (more likely) have overworked on Spring content and are thus releasing stuff well beyond Spring.

The Patio style doesn't scream quality at me so it's being put by the wayside. Meanwhile the Spring style isn't too bad, although 40,000 coins for a counter is a cause for concern.

The Vegan Stove is the first new appliance for nearly two months by my reckoning, what with the new Gran-Gran recipes being for the Basic appliances. That's a plus point, but is quickly chalked off when you consider that 20 parts are required to build it. That means you can build a maximum of just 2 a day (and that's only if you receive 20 relevant gifts and have 20 part requests accepted).

The Floral Settee is not worth 24 gems in my view. It isn't actually that big (I previewed it in my restaurant using a steady hand) and the pink doesn't really fit into my diner. If you do like the pink and want a couch, I'd recommend a look at the Pink Couch which is more aesthetically pleasing (in my opinion) and is cheaper at 14 gems.

Floral Settee limited time offer

In summary, I'm disappointed this week. How much more Spring content can be packed in?

What makes a good neighbour (part 3 - deleting)

The interaction with other establishments plays a large part in making Restaurant Story the game that it is. Over time you will add many neighbours who you can visit, tip and gift, as well as request parts from for building certain appliances. But how can you be a good neighbour?

I've already covered tipping and gifting in this special feature, and today will conclude with some thoughts on the dreadful act of deleting neighbours. Or is it so dreadful? Discuss...

To delete a neighbour, you should tap Menu, go to the Social section and tap the Neighbours tab. There you will find a list of your neighbours and an 'EDIT' button at the top which, when pressed, flips the list into delete mode. Here you can opt to remove any one your neighbours.

Neighbours list in delete mode

Beware that there is no confirmation box appears when you hit 'remove'! I actually deleted a neighbour accidentally once but was quickly able to re-add them as they regularly post on my wall. But if you delete a neighbour who doesn't post on your wall or has not tipped or sent a gift recently, you may never be able to communicate with them again.

Anyway, I want to discuss whether deleting neighbours is something you should consider. Personally, I do delete neighbours, but only if they have quit the game. The only other motivation I would have for erasing a neighbour would be if there was some form of bullying or abusive language in force, but fortunately I've yet to experience this in Restaurant Story.

So at what point can we be certain that a neighbour has quit the game? If they post on their wall that they have packed it in then fine, but otherwise I would suggest that the following four factors are all indicators of an inactive neighbour:

• Tables are full of tips ... this shows that the neighbour hasn't collected their tips recently. Of course they may just have been inundated with tips of late - this indicator is less influential if the neighbour doesn't have many tables for tipping.
• Food on appliances is ruined ... clearly the neighbour hasn't returned to serve their food in time. They may just have forgotten (I have many a time!) but if they've abandoned the game this is often soemthing to spot. Particularly look for long-term dishes (1-2 days) which have spoilt as this shows the neighbour hasn't been active for at least that time.
• No food on appliances ... cooking food is the fundamental action of the game, so to not be cooking food tends to be a bad sign. However it could be that the neighbour's counters are full and so there isn't space for any new food, so take a look at their counters as an additional precaution.
• Door is blocked ... obviously blocking the door will prevent customers from entering the restaurant and thus the player has no cashflow. This points towards someone who has quit, although some people do like to block the door while they fill up their counters so bear that in mind.

Now clearly if all of the points above are prevalent then it is likely that the player in question has quit the game. However, I suggest holding back for two or three weeks to see if they return. It is possible the neighbour is on holiday or is preoccupied with matters in the real world.

And so this brings me on to a final point - if you are going to be unavailable to play for an extended period of time, it is best to post on your wall that this is the case. Then neighbours will know you haven't abandoned the game.

Just remember, with this being a game and all, don't take it too seriously. I'm particularly referring to fear of being given a hard time by a player who you have deleted. At the end of the day, it is your game, and you are free to do whatever you  want regarding deletion of neighbours.

Game update: 22/05/13

It's a quiet week in the game.

Notification for May Basket update

Just the one item in this week's update and it's a box. The May Basket is a 24 gem investment where you are given a prize "randomly". As per usual the highest quality items are harder to obtain. The TeamLava Blog has a screenshot containing much of the prizes on offer:

Items from May Basket as shown on TeamLava Blog

The items shown here are the Joyful Dinner, Mesh Hammock, May Dance, May Dancer, Maypole Cake, Garden Ball, Flower Box and Deluxe Birdhouse (cut off at top, next to door). The only other item I'm aware of is a Pink Shrubbery.

The distribution of the May Basket items are as follows (with certain items still to be added):

First Prize (1% chance)

• Joyful Dinner

Second Prize (10% chance)

• Mesh Hammock
• May Dance

Third Prize (35% chance)

• Maypole Cake
• ?

Fourth Prize (54% chance)

• Garden Ball
• Flower Box
• Pink Shrubbery
• May Dancer

Source: TeamLava Forums

It's good to see TeamLava recognising that Spring is pretty much behind us and that Summer is arriving (at least for some of us!) Hopefully in the coming weeks there will be lots of summer updates. So if boxes aren't your thing, don't fret, as the next while may well be very interesting...

As I've mentioned previously, I'm working on an outdoor area at the moment, which will one day be plonked in my restaurant. Therefore this box is very tempting (and I am a box buyer) plus I have 57 gems stored up so could have a couple of lucky dips. But I'm going to hold back in anticipation of more Summer-related stuff which will fit in a garden section.

For those of you who do invest in the May Basket, best of luck!

Reaching level 99

I've done it! Having cooked no doubt thousands of dishes, I've finally reached the dizzy heights of level 99.

Congratulations message for reaching level 99

Having started playing Restaurant Story at the start of August, that means it has taken me around nine months to reach the peak level. I've played the game every day since installing it (I know, how sad!) and have rarely not had my full bank of appliances in action.

So I suspect that players who are not as dedicated (or obsessive) as myself will not reach level 99 for about a year after starting. From the sheer number of inactive neighbours I've came across, it seems that not many last the distance, and no wonder. Sometimes I can't believe that I'm still playing the game!

I've came a long way from having no idea about the concept of tipping or making neighbours, and am still as addicted to the app as I was on day one. Patience is a virtue, and to hit the top level you need to have it in abundance.

So what now? In some respects getting to level 99 is the equivalent of completing the game, as reaching level 100 is close to impossible. This is because you need to amass another 99 million XP. That ain't a typo...

Profile page for The Garlic Tree

This is a deliberate move by TeamLava as the game experiences technical problems if you do get to level 100. So it is unlikely that any further levels will be added any time soon. However originally level 96 was the limit and it was extended so who knows.

Of course I'm far from finished anyway. Reaching level 99 is only completing the 'story'. To achieve 100% I need to master every recipe on every appliance. And I'm a heck of a long way from doing that. Plus, with new recipes added regularly, I'm unlikely to ever have fully completed the game - there's always something else to achieve.

Does that mean I'll play on forever then? Who knows...

Game update: 15/05/13

After two weeks of the Gran-Gran goals, there is a change of direction in Restaurant Story, although not necessarily in what I would call the forward direction...

Notification for the Spring update

First up it should be said that there were two updates this week. The first went live on Tuesday evening, and revolves around Memorial Day (May 27 this year), which is a holiday in which the US remembers those who died serving in the United States Armed Forces.

The second is the regular Wednesday update which features yet another selection of Spring-orientated items. Here's the comprehensive list combining both updates:

Tables:

• Memorial Table - 2,500 coins
• Spring Table - 2 gems

Chairs:

• Memorial Chair - 2 gems

Wall decorations:

• Memorial Print - 10 gems
• Memorial Day Wreath - 18,000 coins
• Joyful Painting - 10 gems

Floor decorations:

• Memorial Planter - 14 gems
• Balloon Arch - 18 gems
• Memorial Urn - 15,000 coins
• Floral Tier - 22 gems (limited time offer)

Wallpapers:

• Memorial - 1 gem
• Spring Squares - 30,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Memorial - 2,500 coins

Counters:

• Memorial Counter - 10 gems

The only item from the Memorial Day update whose name doesn't start with 'Memorial' is the Balloon Arch. So every other item not starting with 'Memorial' is a constituent of the Spring themed update.

Being British the American-orientated stuff doesn't really interest me a lot, and much of it costs a bucketload of gems as well - 10 gems for a counter is not good value in any realm.

As for the Spring items, I feel we're going backwards here. Spring is at its end, and we've had an ample amount of new content all to do with Spring already. Yet here is some more!

And it's hardly cheap either - 30,000 coins for a single strip of wallpaper doesn't warrant celebration, nor does 22 gems for a floor decoration which takes up only 1x1 in floor space. Thank goodness it'll be gone when it's limited time offer ends after 5 days!

So all in all, I'm rather downbeat with this week's double update, which is in high contrast to my glee at the Gran-Gran goals of the last couple of weeks. I'm keeping my burgeoning mound of gems back for now.

Something else worth noting is that the Roasted Chicken, which was a new recipe last week as part of the second batch of Gran-Gran goals, has been renamed as Marinated Chicken to avoid confusion with the Roast Chicken already available on the Basic Oven.

Marinated Chicken for Basic Grill

For more on last week's new recipes, see here.

New Gran-Gran recipes for second batch

Contained within this week's latest Gran-Gran themed update were another three new recipes. Here they are:

First new recipe for Basic Grill

Second new recipe for Basic Grill

Third new recipe for Basic Grill

As you can see, all three dishes are on the Basic Grill.

The Beet & Feta Salad is available immediately while the other two recipes need to be unlocked by completing the Gran-Gran goals for this week.

Please note that the Marinated Chicken was originally called Roasted Chicken but was later renamed to avoid confusion with the existing Roast Chicken recipe on the Basic Oven.

It's nice to once again see the new recipes included on one of the existing Basic appliances rather than having the inconvenience of having to build a new appliance. Personally I'd have liked these to be longer cooking dishes as there are already a lot of 1-2 hours recipes on the Basic Grill, but as they are involved in a set of goals designed for newer players, it's probably right for them to be shorter recipes.

The statistics on these new foods are nothing to write home about but - just like last week - these new recipes allow you to bank another 6 gems. And with the short waiting time, you can obtain those gems relatively quickly if you have lots of grills.

Plenty to keep us busy then!

Gran-Gran goals second batch (in full)

Following on from last week's Gran-Gran goals, there's another batch of them this week! These are effectively a continuation from the first batch, and so are again well suited to newer players.

Here they come...

Step 1: A New Direction

• Prepare 1 Waffle ... find it on the Basic Stove.
• Prepare 1 Burrito ... find it on the Basic Stove.

Gran-Gran goals 2: step 1

As is customary with the goals, things now split into two (so bear with me!)

Strand A, step 1: Modern Makeover

• Buy 2 Modern Bistro Chairs ... these cost 1,000 coins each.
• Buy 2 Modern Bistro Tables ... these cost 1,100 coins each.
• Expand to 9x12 ... this costs 10,000 coins. 

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand A, step 1

Completion of this goal will unlock the Bistro Counter which can be purchased for 2,600 coins a go.

Unlocking of Bistro Counter in Gran-Gran goals 2

Strand A, step 2: The Perfect Look

• Buy 8 Light Bar Wallpapers ... these cost 600 coins each but any wallpapers will register.
• Buy 16 Elegant Wood Floor Tiles ... these cost 300 coins each but any floor tiles will register.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand A, step 2

 Strand A, step 3: Culinary Inspiration

• Serve 2 Clam Chowders ... find it on the Basic Stove. They take 30 minutes to cook.
• Visit 8 Community Members

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand A, step 3

Strand A, step 4: A Modern Menu

• Buy 1 Basic Grill ... this costs 2,500 coins. If you already have the maximum of 18 Basic Grills, you will need to sell one and 're-buy' it.
• Have 12 Tables ... this will auto-complete if you have already have 12 tables.
• Have 12 Chairs ... this will auto-complete if you have already have 12 chairs.
• Have 8 Counters ... this will auto-complete if you have already have 8 counters.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand 1, step 4

And now Strand A splits into two. I'm denoting the two resulting components as Strand B and Strand C.


Strand B, step 1: Finishing Touches

• Buy 4 Modern Circle Art ... these cost 3,200 coins each.
• Buy 2 Glowing Light Boxes ... these cost 2,800 coins each. Completion of Strand C will result in being given one free.
• Spend 20,000 Coins on Decorations ... the other purchases in this goal will take you to 92% so any 2,000 coin purchase will complete this requirement.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand B, step 1

As you may have noticed in the above image, there is a 2 gem reward for completing Strand C, step 1.


Strand B, step 2: Surprise Contest!

• Pay 2,000 Coins for Contest Entry Fee ...  tap the Pay button to complete this requirement.
• Serve 2 Beet & Feta Salads ... find it in the Basic Grill (first recipe in list). They take 1 hour to cook.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand B, step 2

By getting those salads out, you will unlock another recipe, the Marinated Chicken.

Unlocking of Roasted Chicken in Gran-Gran goals 2

And now another strand, which I'm calling Strand D, begins while Strand B continues.

Strand B, step 3: Ready to Roast

• Serve 3 Marinated Chicken ... find it in the Basic Grill (at end of list). They take 2 hours to cook. Note this dish was originally called Roasted Chicken.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand B, step 3

Strand B, step 4: 86 Beef!

• Ask Neighbours for 2 Slabs of Beef ... tap the Ask button and request some from neighbours.

Gran-gran goals 2: strand B, step 4

Strand B, step 5: Best of the Rest

• Serve 4 Kobe Beef Burgers ... find it in the Basic Grill (at end of list). They take 1 hour to cook.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand B, step 5

This concludes Strand B with a reward of the Ultramodern Fountain.

Rewarding of Ultramodern Fountain in Gran-Gran goals 2

Strand C, step 1: Tell the Town

• Hand Out Restaurant Flyer to 4 Neighbours ... complete by visiting 4 neighbours.
• Visit 10 Community Members
• Leave 20 Tips

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand C, step 1

Completion of Strand C, step 1 will get you a Glowing Light Box. This is the end of Strand C.

Rewarding of Glowing Light Box in Gran-Gran goals 2

 Strand D, step 1: Customers First!

• Prepare 1 Macaroni & Cheese ... find it on the Basic Stove. It takes 12 hours to cook.
• Prepare 1 Chicken Pot Pie ... find it on the Basic Oven. It takes 8 hours to cook.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand D, step 1

Strand D, step 2: All Aglow

• Ask Neighbours for 2 Purple Light Bulbs ... this will auto-complete if you have already received 2 Purple Light Bulbs (although these can no longer be gifted). Otherwise request some from neighbours.

Gran-Gran goals 2: strand D, step 2

Strand D, step 3: Serving Time

• Serve 1 Waffle ... find it on the Basic Stove. It takes 2 hours to cook, or serve immediately if you still still have the one from step 1.
• Serve 1 Burrito ... find it on the Basic Stove. It takes 6 hours to cook, or serve immediately if you still still have the one from step 1.
• Buy 1 Bistro Counter ... this costs 2,600 coins and was unlocked in Strand A, step 1.

Gran-Gran goals 2: Strand D, step 2

And this finishes off Strand D.

Game update: 08/05/13

The theme this week is Gran-Gran going all modern.

Notification for the latest Gran-Gran theme update

Her goals continue, and for more on them head over to my post for the second batch of Gran-Gran goals. Meanwhile the new content is all contemporary. Here it is:

Tables:

• Modern Bistro Table - 1,100 coins

Chairs:

• Modern Bistro Chair - 1,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• Glowing Light Box - 2,800 coins
• Modern Circle Art - 3,200 coins

Floor decorations:

• Ultramodern Fountain - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• Light Bar - 600 coins

Floor tiles:

• Elegant - 300 coins

Counters:

• Bistro Counter - locked by goal

Note that purchases of some of these items is required in the new Gran-Gran goals, so don't dive straight into your wallet right away.

I love this update! The items are all very stylish. I'm tempted to incorporate some of the stuff into my restaurant if possible, especially considering that it's all cheap again (due to its inclusion in a set of goals).

For now, I'm sticking with just the one change - I've switched from a Brown floor to the Elegant floor in my main area:

The Garlic Tree with Brown floor tiles

The Garlic Tree with Elegant floor tiles

In the end this refurbishment cost close to 100,000 coins! Those individual floor tiles soon add up! I'm delighted with the result though. And I'm going to consider the new table, chair and counter as well.

And if all this wasn't enough,  there are three new recipes too. And they're all on the Basic Grill! The first is Beet & Feta Salad which is situated at the start of the recipe list and is readily available, while there are two others - Kobe Beef Burger and Roasted Chicken - which are locked by goal. I'll make a separate post to analyse these recipes in due course.

New Gran-Gran recipes

Amidst the mayhem of the new Gran-Gran goals this week, there were three new recipes released. They are as follows:

First new recipe for Basic Oven

Second new recipe for Basic Oven

Third new recipe for Basic Oven

So all three new dishes are short ones, which means that from a mastering point of view, you can grab six gems in a relatively short space of time.

The statistics regarding margins and XP for these recipes don't look too attractive in the main - you'd probably be better off to focus on some of the longer recipes. However, the Chicken & Dumplings do have an interesting XP gain. At 34 XP per serving (which each take 15 minutes), that's 136 XP per hour if you serve promptly, and even then that's only for cooking on one appliance. So if you occupy the maximum 18 ovens all together that's 2448 XP per hour!

It's nice to see the new recipes all being on the Basic Oven rather than a new appliance. This saves on costs for buying new appliances and on waiting times for them to be constructed. On the other hand, since they are situated at the very end of the recipe list, there's a lot of scrolling to do to get to them - but I guess something has to be last in the list!

Gran-Gran goals (in full)

The month of May comes with a new set of goals - the Gran-Gran goals. Unlike other recent goals, these are designed with new players in mind, and thus are much easier to complete with four unlockables to obtain.

So upon launching the goals you'll find three different strands of goals awaiting...

Strand 1, step 1: A Warm Welcome

• Prepare French Toast ... find it on the Basic Stove.

Strand 1, step 2: Sitting Space

• Place 1 White Table ... costs 1,000 coins.
• Place 1 White Chair ... costs 500 coins.
• Place 1 White Counter ... costs 2,500 coins.

At this stage, you will be introduced to a new character: Gran-Gran.

Introduction to strand 1, step 3 of Gran-Gran goals

Strand 1, step 3: A Helping Hand

• Serve French Toast ... find it on the Basic Stove (or serve the one from strand 1, step 1 if you haven't already).
• Buy 2 Wall Decorations ... the Wall Clock is the cheapest option at 100 coins each.

Strand 1, step 4: Show Your Stuff

• Prepare Bacon & Eggs ... find it on the Basic Stove.
• Have 5 Counters ... will auto-complete if you already have 5. Otherwise, the White Counter is the cheapest option at 2,500 coins each.

Strand 1, step 5: Bursting at the Seams

• Expand to 8x10 ... will auto-complete if you already have done. Otherwise, costs 5,000 coins.

After completing this step, you are awarded the Phonograph. Note that the Phonograph appears from nowhere in the floor decorations tab, and additional copies of it cannot be purchased. Therefore if you sell the Phonograph you are given, you may never get an opportunity to purchase another one.

At this point, the strand splits into two. I'm going to denote the two strands as strand 1A and strand 1B.

Strand 1A, step 1: A New Toy

• Buy 1 Basic Oven ... costs 2,500 coins. If you already have the maximum 18 Basic Ovens, then I suggest selling one of your existing Basic Ovens and re-buying it!
• Serve Bacon & Eggs ... find it on the Basic Stove (or serve the one from strand 1, step 4 if you haven't already).

For completing Strand 1A, step 1, you unlock the Gran-Gran Chair.

Unlocking of Gran-Gran Chair in Gran-Gran goals

 Strand 1A, step 2: Order Up!

• Serve 2 Grilled Cheese ... find it on the Basic Stove. These take 3 hours to cook.
• Serve 1 Baked Scallops ... find it on the Basic Oven. These take 4 hours to cook.

Strand 1A, step 3: Seating Arrangements

• Have 6 Tables ... will auto-complete if you already have 6. Otherwise, the White Table is the cheapest option at 1,000 coins each, or if you've completed Strand 1B: step 2, the Gran-Gran Table is the cheapest option at 500 coins each.
• Have 6 Chairs ... will auto-complete if you already have 6. Otherwise, the Gran-Gran Chair is the cheapest option at 250 coins each.
• ? ... I missed this requirement! But again, it will auto-complete if you already have whatever it is that is necessary!

Completion of Strand 1A, step 3 will reward you with a wall decoration, Gran's Dancing Shoes. You get one free, and have the option of buying more pairs for 450 coins each.

Unlocking of Gran's Dancing Shoes in Gran-Gran goals

At this point, things get even more convoluted, with strand 1A  splitting into two again! So I'm calling them strand 1A1 and strand 1A2.

Strand 1A1, step 1: New neighbours!

• Visit 1 neighbour
• Leave 2 Tips

For reaching this point, you are given access to the Gran-Gran Counter for 500 coins each.

Unlocking of the Gran-Gran Counter in the Gran-Gran goals

And that is the only goal for Strand 1A1.

Strand 1A2, step 1: Ready to Learn?

• Buy 8 Wallpapers ... cheapest option is White at 25 coins each.
• Buy 1 Counter ... cheapest option is White Counter at 2,500 coins, or if you've completed Strand 1A1, step 1, the Gran-Gran Counter is the cheapest option at 500 coins each.

And finishing off Strand 1A2, step 1 will result in the unlocking of a new recipe, Chicken & Dumplings.

Unlocking of Chicken & Dumplings in Gran-Gran goals

Strand 1A2, step 2: Now You're Ready

• Serve 2 Chicken & Dumplings ... find it on the Basic Oven at the end of the recipe list. These take 15 minutes to cook.

And rather predictably, beating Strand 1A2, step 2 will release Cornbread with Honey, another recipe.

Unlocking of Cornbread with Honey in Gran-Gran goals

Slightly less predictably, another split occurs at this stage (I know, I'm gasping too!) so rather getting totally lost with subscripts, I'll denote them as Strand 1C and Strand 1D.

Strand 1C, step 1: Crackin' Cornbread

• Serve 3 Cornbread with Honey ... find it on the Basic Oven at the end of the recipe list. These take 1 hour to cook.
• Borrow 4 Boysenberries from Community Members ... tap the Ask button and request the Boysenberries from neighbours.

As the Boysenberries allude to, the new dessert is the last step, and is unlocked here - Boysenberry Pie.

Unlocking of Boysenberry Pie in Gran-Gran goals

Strand 1C, step 2: The Final Test

• Serve 4 Boysenberry Pies ... find it on the Basic Oven at the end of the recipe list. These take 30 minutes to cook.
• Pay 3,000 coins for Swing Dance Shoes ... tap the Pay button to pay the fee.

This brings an end to this strand, with the big goal prize, the Swing Dance Floor, being unlocked. And you get one for free, with additional purchases being 5,000 coins a go.

Strand 1D, step 1: Keeping Current

• Buy 1 Chair ... cheapest option is the Gran-Gran chair at 250 coins.
• Buy 1 Table ... cheapest option is the White Table at 1,000 coins, or if you've completed Strand 1B: step 2, the Gran-Gran Table is the cheapest option at 500 coins.

Strand 1D, step 2: Let the Light In

• Buy 2 Windows ... any wall decoration is acceptable, with the cheapest option being the Wall Clock at 100 coins each.

For completing Strand 1D, step 2 there is a reward of 2 gems!

Reward of 2 gems for completing Let the Light In in Gran-Gran goals

Strand 1D, step 3: Spread the Word

• Visit 5 Community Members
• Leave 10 Tips

This closes out Strand 1D.

Strand 1B, step 1: Restaurant Remodel

• Buy 17 Floor Tiles ... cheapest available option is White at 150 coins each.
• Buy 2 Wallpapers ... cheapest option is White at 25 coins each.

Strand 1B: step 2: The Missing Pieces

• Have 2 Decorations ... will auto-complete if you already have 2. Otherwise, both Wall and Floor Decorations are acceptable with the cheapest option being the Wall Clock at 100 coins each.

This marks the end of this strand, with the Gran-Gran Table unlocked.

Strand 2, step 1: Almost Ready

• Serve 1 Omelette ... find it on the Basic Stove. These take 5 minutes to cook.

Strand 2, step 2: Rush Hour

• Buy 1 Table ... the White Table is the cheapest option at 1,000 coins.
• Buy 1 Chair ... the White Chair is the cheapest option at 500 coins.

And that closes out this strand.

Strand 3, step 1: Find a Friend

• Set your Storm8 ID ... will auto-complete if you already have done. Otherwise, go to Menu > Social > Invite Friends and set one.
• Add 1 neighbour ... will auto-complete if you already have done. Otherwise, share your Storm8 ID with other community members and hopefully someone will invite you as a neighbour!

This is the only step of this strand - truly one for the newbies!

Game update: 01/05/13

As we enter May, there's a real treat in Restaurant Story - another new set of goals!

Notification for Gran-Gran update

There are actually very few new items, just five to be precise:

Tables:

• Gran-Gran's Table - locked by goal

Chairs:

• Gran-Gran's Chair - locked by goal

Wall decorations:

• Gran-Gran's Dancing Shoes - locked by goal

Floor decorations:

• Phonograph - locked by goal (not shown in Design Mode until unlocked)
• Swing Dance Floor - locked by goal

As you can see, all of these Gran-Gran items are locked by goal. To unlock them you need to complete the Gran-Gran goals.

So a pretty quiet week for new stuff, but the goals are great to see, as that makes for four sets of goals in as many months following Valentine's, Action-Chef Lee and Spring.

Introduction to Gran-Gran goals

However the Gran-Gran goals are designed for new players, making them much easier to complete, and a bit of a walkover at times for experienced players such as myself. However TeamLava need to cater for everyone, and this is a good way to keep low-level players from quitting the game.