The craft chocolate specialty store "Romance Chocolate" (Midoricho, Hirosaki City, TEL 0172-36-7808 ) was relocated and reopened on April 8.

The store was open from October 2018 to March this year in Kamenokomachi, Hirosaki City. We sell craft chocolate using home-roasted cacao. The owner is from Hirosaki and is based in two locations, Tokyo and Hirosaki. In Tokyo, he runs "Airgead," which manufactures and sells chocolates exclusively for bars.

“I have more things I want to do, and the stores I used to have become too small,” says Sudo. The building, which was over 50 years old and was introduced by an acquaintance, is a dormitory-attached garment factory and still has some remnants. Until 2020, it was a beauty salon.

The store area is 50 tsubo. Mr. Sudo's long-sought cafe space (about 12 seats) is newly established. It has been refurbished to let in a lot of natural light, and a window has been created so that you can see the outside from inside the store. In addition to the signature product, craft chocolate, there are new baked confectionery products that make use of Mr. Sudo's experience working at a pastry shop.

The cafe menu includes freshly baked Belgian waffles (594 yen), cacao husk blanc mange (550 yen), coffee jelly (440 yen), "ice cream" (single 440 yen, double 770 yen), and hot coffee (418 yen). ), Hot tea (385 yen), farmer's apple juice (385 yen), etc.

For coffee, we use beans from Hirosaki's own roasted coffee shop. “We would like to change the stores we order each season and propose pairings with chocolate that goes well with the coffee,” says Sudo. We are also devising new menus such as parfait and anmitsu. Purchased chocolates can be eaten in by ordering a coffee shop menu. "I want you to spend your time relaxing while enjoying the sweets," smiles.

Mr. Sudo is also focusing on chocolate production that incorporates local ingredients such as Shimizumori number, honey from Mt. Iwaki, and water from the Shirakami Mountains. "Chocolate has the potential to combine various ingredients. I want to spread the fun of Hirosaki through chocolate, involving the friends I made in Hirosaki."

Business hours are from 11:00 to 19:00 (last order at 17:00 for the cafe space), closed on Mondays (Tuesday if it is a national holiday).