Hirosaki's coffee shop "Kokando Pink Bear" (Okeyamachi, Hirosaki City) will close on October 17th.

"Pink Bear" is a long-established store that has been in the downtown area of Blacksmith Town for 46 years, and was founded in October 1975 (Showa 50). We mainly provided parfaits using homemade ice cream, and established the "parfait" culture in Hirosaki. Mr. and Mrs. Tadahiro Momota and Mr. Yumi continued on a three-legged race, but Mr. Tadahiro, who was ill, left the store five years ago. Currently, Yumi is standing alone in the store.

At the time of its founding, the only menu was anmitsu and homemade ice cream. Mr. Tadahiro developed the menu by making use of his experience working at a coffee shop. According to Yumi, the parfait began to be offered shortly after its opening and became a signboard menu.

Old clocks, dried flowers, paintings, etc. are lined up in the store. "Speaking of coffee shops, flowers and paintings. There was a time when magazines were placed, but old coffee shops used to kill time while looking at the paintings and flowers in the shop. Raw flowers have been in business for 46 years. I've never run out of it inside, "says Yumi.

At its peak, it was open from 14:00 to 2:00 the next day. There are no regular holidays, and we only take a rest once a month. It has come to be used for families and date spots, and in recent years some customers have visited for three generations. Yumi smiles, "A customer who was a student who came when I started the store got married and the child brought me a child. I'm glad to hear that."

When we announced the closing of the store to regular customers from mid-July, it spread by word of mouth. Regarding the reason for closing the store, he said, "I can't continue the store because I take care of my husband who needed nursing care." “I wanted the last business day to be Sunday, because some families can only come on Sunday,” says Yumi.

"There are a lot of customers scattered all over the country. Many people don't know their names, but they remember their faces well and are important to me. If there is a regret in the 46 years of business, the new Corona It's difficult to come because of the virus, and I can't thank you at the end. "

The popular menu, which is currently discontinued, is said to be revived by the final business, saying "I want you to be happy as much as possible." Currently, customers who hear the news of the store closing are coming every day. Yumi says, "Everything is handmade one by one. Since we are doing it alone, it may take some time to provide it, but please understand."

Business hours are from 14:00 to 23:00.