A cafe called ``nutrition cafe 328'' (Tokiwa, Fujisaki-cho, Minami-Tsugaru-gun) will open on January 28th on JR Kita-Tokiwa Station Street.

Akiko Fujibayashi, a registered dietitian and owner of the store, has opened a cafe that has been a dream of hers for many years. ``Nutrition'' means nutritional supplementation and intake, and we offer nutritionally balanced lunch menus and drinks such as coffee and apple juice. The store will have menus and recipes that introduce the calories and nutritional content of the dishes.

Fujibayashi lives in the Tokiwa area and works as a dietitian who plans menus for schools and hospitals, and currently works once a week as a home-visit registered dietitian. After retiring, he dreamed of opening a delicatessen restaurant where he could make use of his experience, but when asked why he decided to open one before retiring, Fujibayashi said, ``I believe that the sooner you start something new, the better.'' "We decided to open in the year of the rabbit," he says. The store's illustration features a rabbit with a trefoil.

The restaurant was renovated from a former snack bar that closed in March last year. According to Fujibayashi, the owner gave him permission to use the space freely, and he decided to decorate it with natural greenery and wood. Fujibayashi applied the plaster mixed with cauliflower and cabbage. The front of the building will be made of glass to make it easier to see what's going on inside the store, and there are plans to plant trees at the entrance.

The menus are ``Shokutsu Shoku'' (1,350 yen) and ``Chantoshoku'' (1,250 yen). The two menus change monthly and feature staple foods, main dishes, and side dishes, with dishes that take into account the need for too much salt. ``Eating well'' comes with spinach quiche. You can also bring in sweets purchased from the adjacent Ishizawa Confectionery store.

The opening date was delayed from the originally planned 2023 to 2024. "I'm not ready in time," says Fujibayashi with a wry smile. Currently, they only have a meal menu, but from February they will offer parfaits containing 200 grams of fruit in support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' ``200 grams of fruit every day'' campaign. We have applied for the ``Smart Meal'' certification system for healthy meals and food environments, and are aiming for certification in August.

Fujibayashi says, ``With the support and help of those around us, we were finally able to open our doors.There are still many areas for improvement, but we hope that our food will spark interest in food and nutritional management.''

Business hours are 11:00 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays, Thursdays, and 1st and 3rd Sundays.