Interview with Arinobu, manager of La Pâtisserie Piaget
La Pâtisserie Piaget is celebrating its 32nd year in business in 2022.
We asked manager Arinobu about the shop and his feelings for Kojima.
Please tell us about the shop's history.
Arinobu (surname omitted)
We are celebrating our 32nd year in business in 2022.
Originally, we had a shop on the ground floor of a building near Kaminocho Station on the JR Seto-Ohashi Line.
We were near Kaminocho Station for 12 years, and have been at our current Kojima Main Store for 20 years.
My father was the first owner, and I am the second generation.
My grandfather also sells manju at Arinobu Confectionery in Tamano, so in terms of confectionery, I am the third generation.
Please tell us what makes the shop distinctive.
Arinobu
One distinctive feature is that we have many denim-related products, such as Denim Baumkuchen and Denim Financiers.
Kojima is the birthplace of domestically made denim and was known as a denim mecca.
We wanted to make the most of our hometown of Kojima, so we sell products that use blue.
Originally, we weren't selling blue cakes or anything like that ten years ago.
But now we're in the age of social media, and I feel that customers have become more open to different colors.
Also, with the rise of convenience-store sweets and all kinds of specialty shops, such as tart shops, I thought that making the most of our local identity would help set us apart.
To bring customers in, we need to put what makes us different front and center.
And denim was, after all, a very powerful asset.
Blue is a color that suppresses appetite, but I wanted to emphasize something that would pique customers' curiosity even more.
The story behind the development of Denim
Please tell us about your signature products and popular menu items.
Arinobu
It's definitely Denim.
Originally, Denim Baumkuchen was our most popular item.
We use homemade baumkuchen with salt from Kojima, and coat it with gardenia blue, made possible by technological innovation.
We shared information on social media, and more and more customers were asking to buy Denim Baumkuchen online.
But I had long felt that Denim Baumkuchen alone wasn't enough to clinch the deal.
We get plenty of customers from around Kojima, but to attract customers from Kurashiki and around Kita Ward in Okayama City, we really need the appeal of fresh pastries.
Especially with baked goods, people don't need to make a special trip; they can just order them online, so there's no need to visit the shop.
That's why I wanted to develop fresh pastries as soon as possible that people couldn't buy online and would want to make the trip to come and eat.
We add salt to the mousse, which makes up most of the flavor, to create a salted vanilla mousse.
I knew that vanilla ice cream and salt went well together, and since we were going to use blue, the white vanilla mousse would stand out even more as a contrast.
We made it round partly because the glaze coats it beautifully, but also because we chose a shape that was as simple as possible.
A blue cake already makes a strong statement to customers, and adding an unusual shape would be too much information.
So I thought that a simple design would be well received when introducing blue to the world for the first time.
I feel that being born and raised in Kojima gives me a reason to sell this Denim.
Looking back and looking ahead
Please tell us how you feel about the shop.
Arinobu
I went to university and studied economics rather than attending a vocational school.
That's because I thought that in the years ahead, it would be important not just to make delicious cakes, but also to know how to sell them.
Rather than aiming to create the ultimate single product, I want to let as many people as possible enjoy the character of this place and share the joy and pleasure of visiting our shop.
Did you go to university intending to make cakes?
Arinobu
That's right. Going to a four-year university was a turning point for me.
I'm glad I went to university.
That wasn't so much because I learned about money, but because I was able to meet and interact with many different people.
I had grown up only in Kojima, so meeting all kinds of people really broadened my perspective.
I also worked part-time at a convenience store.
I think I learned the importance of communication through those experiences.
You can't see everything by focusing only on cakes when making them.
Original ideas come from keeping up with world affairs and communicating with people in other industries.
Is there anything you'd like to do in the future?
Arinobu
I want to strengthen our online business.
If an epidemic or some other major event keeps people from leaving home, I think online sales are the best way to give more customers the opportunity to make a purchase.
To do that, though, we need to create cake photos and descriptions that encourage people to buy while browsing on their smartphones.
Taking a longer-term view, I also want to focus on the lives of the employees who work at the shop.
Honestly, these days, information and equipment are readily available, and it's easy to make sweets at home.
You can find baking molds at 100-yen shops, and you can also buy molds like the ones professionals use through online stores.
Given that, people might wonder whether there's any need to become a pastry chef.
It's true that you can make sweets at home, but as a pastry chef, you get to experience customers' gratitude face-to-face every day.
When serving customers, they might tell you, “That was really delicious,” or you might see how happy they are as they enjoy your sweets.
I think that's what makes being a pastry chef rewarding.
I want to create more opportunities and experiences like that for them.
But to do that, first and foremost, the shop needs to make a profit.
It's difficult to build a business model if it isn't profitable.
First, while making safe, delicious cakes is a given, I want to share what makes the shop special.
From the Writer
La Pâtisserie Piaget continues to be loved by the people of Kojima.
I could feel manager Arinobu's passion for the shop, and his words, “These days, you have to think about how to sell your products, not just make delicious sweets,” left a strong impression on me.
Even in a single cake, you can find all kinds of thoughts and ideas from Arinobu.
Whether or not you've visited Kojima, be sure to try the sweets at La Pâtisserie Piaget.
I think you can discover the appeal and history of Kojima through its sweets.
La Pâtisserie Piaget Kojima Main Store details
| Name | La Pâtisserie Piaget Kojima Main Store |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-1583-49 Kojima Shimonochō, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-472-1605 |
| Parking | Available Space for 8 cars |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Seating | 24 indoor seats; 4 terrace seats |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | La Pâtisserie Piaget |
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