I followed the restaurant in Hirosaki, which continues to operate in Corona.

At "Pub Grandpa" (Dotemachi, Hirosaki City), sales decreased by 80 to 90% compared to two years ago. The owner, Kuji Nakamatsu, laments that the numbers are different by an order of magnitude. In Hirosaki, a large-scale cluster occurred in the downtown area last October. Requests for closure have spread widely to restaurants in the city.

"At that time, there was a cooperation fund, which helped me," he recalls. Sales were on a recovery trend until March this year, but sales declined again from April, when the third state of emergency and the start of an increase in infected people in Aomori Prefecture overlapped. Although the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival was held in April, it was decided to close Golden Week because tourists from outside the prefecture would refrain from visiting the store.

Mr. Nakamatsu says, "Thankfully, there are regular customers who support me, such as buying a lot of meal tickets to keep the store going. They often use it in small groups." ..

Mr. Nakamatsu has eight employees including sister stores. He says he wants to secure human resources in anticipation of normal business after Corona. Mr. Nakamatsu says, "Once the corona has converged, we have no choice but to continue business while securing a system that allows us to operate firmly."

"DOTECAZI" (Dotemachi) has been focusing on take-out since last year, and is also delivering to customers who purchase over 5,000 yen. Onigiri will be added to the take-out menu from June 7th. The owner, Kazuki Sakuma, says, "It is thanks to the blessed staff that we can protect the store together while sharing ideas."

The store is currently open normally, but it is not expected to come after 20:00, and it may be unavoidable to move early. Mr. Sakuma said, "I'm in the red just for business, but I'm worried about rumors when I take a rest, and I'm afraid that customers will leave. Last year, there was demand for takeout, so I managed to continue. Anxiety. " "May sales were the worst ever," he said.

Even so, the take-out that has continued since last year has increased the name of the store and has led to new customer attraction. Information is frequently disseminated on SNS, increasing opportunities for communication with customers. Mr. Sakuma smiles in pain, saying, "I continue to do my best to deliver delicious food."

Stores are closing one after another around Hirosaki Station. In February, the 27-year-old "Tsugaru Izakaya Waiwai" disappeared. In May, the goodwill of "Nihonkai Shoya Hirosaki Ekimae Store", which was closed, was dropped.

There in front of the station, "Hirosaki Rice Wine (Hirosaki rice wine)" (Ekimaecho) becomes the business of only booking from October last year, currently prospect of regular business is not set.

On May 30, the owner, Masako Suita, called on SNS to organize the "Hirosaki Takeout Joint Festival," which collects and sells takeout products from six nearby stores. It has been well received, with sales on the day sold out in 15 minutes, and the second edition is scheduled for June 12.

Mr. Suita said, "The current situation is harsh everywhere, and I thought of a plan that would allow everyone to enjoy the dark atmosphere as much as possible. I'm glad that everyone can enjoy the event, but I hope that this situation will improve soon and the vitality will return. "