A new venture as a producer: An interview with Totsuka-san of 695COFFEE

The blending and roasting of the Tsugumori Blend is entrusted to 695COFFEE in Saku City, next to Komoro City. 695COFFEE's representative, Totsuka-san, started out in his family's Osakaya Bookstore business, then managed Ootoya, before opening his own roasting cafe last year. We spoke to him about the evolution of his family's business and the Tsugumori Blend.

- Please tell us what Osakaya Bookstore and Mr. Totsuka have been doing so far.

Osakaya was founded in 1901 and celebrated its 120th anniversary last year. It started as a general goods store and expanded into a bookstore when it began selling textbooks. I joined the company in 2006. Around that time, sales of magazines and CDs were declining, and the bookstore industry as a whole was in a difficult situation when I joined.

For the next few years, I tried various things, such as selling stationery and miscellaneous goods in the bookstore. Throughout this process, I was always thinking about my next move. I had a vague feeling that the next thing I would do would be to franchise a restaurant.

- Why did you think that a restaurant franchise would be a good choice?

One of the reasons was that I simply liked Ootoya. I asked Ootoya if I could become a franchisee, and they said yes, so we started as a new business. Once we started talking, preparations for the opening progressed at a rapid pace, and we opened six months later. That was in 2013, so it had been about seven years since I joined the company.

- Was it difficult to change your business model from selling goods to serving food and beverages?

Actually, my father isn't the type to look at numbers that much, so I was allowed to look at financial figures from the moment I joined the company. The experience of trial and error I gained from immediately joining the company, looking at the field and finances, was useful in starting new businesses, such as negotiating with banks.

Also, chain store operations and cost management suited me perfectly. I found restaurant management, especially cost management, more interesting than difficult, and I learned a lot.

- You opened 695COFFEE last year. What was the background to that?

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tenant in the space where our cafe is currently located decided to move out, so we decided to open a cafe there.

My parents wanted us to continue running the bookstore, and as an adult I had grown to love books, something I had never appreciated as a child, so I thought about starting a business that would allow me to continue running the bookstore.

Bookstores are not a high-profit business. To be able to run a bookstore, you have to take profit margins into consideration. So I thought about coffee, which I've always loved. I decided to get into roasting after seeing a machine at a cafe in Kyoto that piqued my interest.

My experience selling a variety of products, my overseas training when I was part of a bookstore group, my part-time experience as a barista, and my experience operating a chain store in the food service industry - all of these experiences and ways of thinking have come together to form the company we are in today.

- So it all came together to form 695COFFEE.

That's right. My father is proud of Osakaya's history, and he sometimes talks about how Osakaya has changed to keep up with the times. "A company can only survive by changing while preserving its essential parts," was a fundamental belief, so he had no resistance to change.

- Please tell us about Tsugumori Blend.

I also like the area where Tsugumori is located, so I often drive through it. In response to a request for a blend that evokes the breeze blowing through the forest, I initially used Asian beans from Myanmar and East Timor to create a blend that brings out the freshness of the season when new green leaves sprout. Using that as a base, I adjusted various elements, such as adding a vibrant or calming feel, and a flavor that would be accepted by a wide range of people as a main blend, and this is the Tsugumori Blend. In the end, I retained the freshness from Myanmar, expressed the vibrant feel from Ethiopia, and achieved balance with Colombia.

- I'm sure Tsugumori's unique blend will be loved by many people. Please give us a final message.

Supplying products as a producer is a new challenge for me. The success of the stores that sell my coffee will also mean my success, so I hope to work together to make it a success.

Thank you, Totsuka-san!
At Tsugumori, we offer a coffee menu using our original blends.

695COFFEE's homepage is here