“Nijiiro Shoten” is a shop where you can enjoy the atmosphere of a traditional town house in Kurashiki, offering crepes and drinks.
I spoke with the buyer, Ayabe Sayuri.
Collaboration with Tsunagu Cafe
Can you tell us how the collaboration with Tsunagu Cafe came about?
Ayabe
We had never collaborated with other stores before, and this was our first time with Tsunagu Cafe.
Tsunagu Cafe is also a shop that supports employment for people with disabilities, located in Osaka.
It is such a popular place that people come from far away to eat there, and I was very curious about it.
By chance, I connected with the president of Tsunagu Cafe at a welfare event held in Kurashiki, and I made a strong approach to them, which led to this collaboration opportunity.
Tsunagu Cafe created the menu, which we are offering at Nijiiro Shoten.
The timing of the offering may differ slightly, but you can enjoy the same items in Kurashiki.
Since you can eat the same menu in Kurashiki, people from neighboring prefectures who used to go to Tsunagu Cafe have come to Nijiiro Shoten.
I would be happy if people from neighboring areas who used to go to Osaka now come to Nijiiro Shoten.
No Compromise in Menu Creation
Do you think about the menu together?
Ayabe
We are provided with the menu, but we are also taught how to make it.
They come all the way from Osaka to give us lectures.
The recipes are made so that they can be made at Nijiiro Shoten, but 90% of the ingredients are not available at our shop, and the crepe batter is also different.
I prepared to be able to handle it and studied hard.
Photo-Friendly Adjustments
In addition to menu guidance, I received various advice, and based on that, I made some adjustments to the store.
Tsunagu Cafe is very active on Instagram.
To enable photo-friendly shots at Nijiiro Shoten, they suggested that the back seats be used for photography.
These seats are bright, with natural light coming in and a view of greenery.
Following their advice to have greenery in the background, I raised the tables and changed the frosted glass to clear glass.
Additionally, to ensure greenery appears in camera shots, I placed pots of evergreen trees outside that keep their leaves year-round.
You can take photos at the designated seating area and then move to another area to enjoy your meal.
That way, everyone can take beautiful photos.
We have prepared character figures, Sabou-kun and Tsunagu-chan, for photo opportunities, so I hope you can take pictures with them.
Future Collaborations
Will you continue to collaborate with Tsunagu Cafe in the future?
Ayabe
Yes, we will continue to change the menu and offer products.
Currently, we are in a style where we are provided with the menu, but once we have more leeway, I would like to offer our original menu.
It might be nice to create sweets using dried fruits processed in the Rainbow Cafe Project.
The next second installment is planned to feature crepes made with white peaches.
Details are not yet decided, but I think it will be available around the Obon holiday.
Conclusion
I enjoyed the crepes served on a plate in a building renovated from a traditional house.
With a ribbon tied around it, the name "Bouquet" perfectly suits this dish.
In addition to its gorgeous appearance, I took photos at a seat designed to be photo-friendly, making it even more attractive in the pictures.
I was also pleased that there were character figures available for photo opportunities.
Not only did I get to enjoy the food, but it was also a delightful service for me, as I wanted to capture cute photos.
The collaboration between Nijiiro Shoten and Tsunagu Cafe has just begun.
I look forward to the future menus.
