👨‍🍳 New Chef Devlog #7

What I worked on:

• Added a scrubbing feature to clean the fryers, drink stations, and grills
• Added a background music
• Added a settings area, where you can change the volume, and some other things that I might add in the future
• Aded a volume slidder, so you can change the sound if it is too loud, or too quite

Fixed:

• cleaned the UI for the Aprons, Hats, and Clothes
• Cleaned the overall UI
• There was an error with the slider, where you had to pull it from somwhere else in the screen, insted of just pulling it itself

Next things:

• this is going to be the last devlog before the first ship

👨‍🍳 New Chef Devlog #6

What I worked on:

• Implemented 2-minute daily shifts (120s) with progressing daily revenue targets and day counter tracking.
• Created the Chef Wardrobe Customisation Station (Key 5) allowing players to buy and equip outfits like Golden Apron and Master Black.
• Added Fast Grills, Fast Fryers, Fast Drinks, and Anti-Burn Tech upgrades to the Ordering Tablet (Key 6) to boost kitchen efficiency.
• Rebalanced Drink Station economy: updated dispenser unlock costs ($0, $175, $275, $375) and raised wholesale Drink Supplies pricing to $20.
• Added manual order rejection at the Customer Counter using X or Backspace’.
• Integrated day progress, equipped outfits, and all appliance speed upgrades into the JSON save/load architecture (save.json).

Fixed:

• Fixed drink pouring duration calculation to dynamically read fast_drink_upgrade speed settings.
• Resolved save file loading errors when reading saved profiles missing upgrade and wardrobe dictionary keys.
• Cleaned up HUD alignment to neatly accommodate shift timers, active outfit name, and stock counters.

Next things:

• End-of-shift profitability summary screens.
• Expanded Wardrobe options with headwear and accessory slots (and things that make them useful).
• Cleanliness and maintenance indicators for grills and fryers.

👨‍🍳 New Chef Devlog #5

What I worked on:

• Expanded the drink station to 4 soda dispensers with progressive unlock costs ($0, $100, $150, $200) controlled using keys D, F, G, and H.

• Added 3 customer types: Regular, VIP (pays 2x cash, but has 50% patience), and Easygoing (has 150% patience).

• Created a Tip System that awards a +$5 bonus when serving customers when their patience meter is above 80%.

• Implemented Combos & Side Orders (e.g., Burger + Fries + Drink) requiring full tray orders and yielding bonus cash.

Fixed:

• Resolved backward-compatibility issues when loading older save.json files missing the new drink dispenser tracking keys.

• Fixed order fulfillment logic so the space bar finds and deducts all items required for a combo orders.

• Adjusted customer card UI layout and color rendering to correctly accommodate customer type badges and tip indicators.

Next things:

• Equipment upgrades (e.g., faster cook times, anti - food burning).

• Wardrobe customisation features for key 5.

• Shift timer and daily earnings targets.

• Rejecting orders

  👨‍🍳 New Chef Devlog #4

What I worked on:

• Implemented a persistent Save System using JSON that automatically preserves player progress (capital, served customers, ingredient stocks, tray items, and station upgrades) across sessions.

• Upgraded file handling to use absolute directory resolution so the save file reliably creates in the exact script location regardless of execution environment.

• Added holding tray state tracking to ensure burgers, fries, and drinks staged on trays are accurately saved and restored.

• Refactored station state handling and event logic for better stability across all kitchen stations.

Fixed:

• Resolved file directory tracking bugs where save data wasn’t being recognized across different IDE environments.

• Fixed an issue where items sitting on the holding tray were lost upon exiting the game.

• Cleaned up event loop input collisions across station keybinds.

Next things:

• make the drink second dispenser unlockable (maybe add more too)

• customer types ( e.g. a “VIP” who pays double but has half the patience time, or an Easygoing customer who waits longer.)

• Tips System: Give bonus cash if you serve a customer while their patience meter is still above 80%.

• Combos & Side Orders: Require combo orders (e.g., Burger + Fries + Drink) for a larger payout.

(Sorry for the delay on this update. Ran into a few save-state and file path bugs that took a bit longer than expected)

👨‍🍳 New Chef Devlog #3

What I worked on:

- Improved the restaurant systems and expanded the kitchen interface.
- A redesigned supplier tablet with clickable ordering buttons.
- Multiple supply options for burgers, fries, drinks, and future ingredients.
- Locked supplier slots for future content.
- A second locked fryer in the Fries Station.
- A second locked drink dispenser slot in the Drink Station.
- Improved station layouts and interface organization.

Fixed:

- Missing locked equipment labels.
- Issues with the supplier tablet display.
- Layout problems with the kitchen stations.

Next steps:

- Add burnt food.
- Add stock deliveries with delivery timers.
- Add a save game system.
- Begin implementing customer patience.

👨‍🍳 New Chef Devlog #2

What I worked on:

• Expanded the kitchen system by adding more cooking stations and improving the restaurant layout.

Added:

• An 8-grill layout for the Grill & Stock Delivery area.
• A system for locked grill slots that can be upgraded later.
• Burger cooking with a timer and progress bar.
• Random customer orders.
• Money and customer served tracking.
• Improved the kitchen structure to prepare for future - upgrades and more recipes.

Next steps:

• Add stock deliveries.
• Add more food types.
• Add customer patience.
• Add upgrades for kitchen equipment.

(forgot to do the first devlog, so lets just call this the second one 🙃)