KOFFEE MAMEYA-kakeru is a new coffee shop by barista Eiichi Kunitomo.

The concept of this store is "to make everyday coffee an extraordinary experience." From a single cup of coffee to a course menu that elevates coffee to the realm of gastronomy, you can enjoy the attentive hospitality of skilled baristas, their skills and manners, and their hospitality. The coffee brands are always changing according to the season, and the store offers a new coffee experience by developing and proposing pairing menus through collaboration with chefs, pastry chefs, and other different genres. Kakeru means a chemical change through the multiplication of different industries. 


In our search for an environment where we could provide a space and time for people to experience these services to the fullest, we found ourselves in Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Tokyo. The location of our new shop is a warehouse property, a remnant of the area's former water transportation hub, which can still be seen in the city today. 

When we began the design process, we kept the exterior of the warehouse, which retains the unique appearance of this location, as much as possible, and inserted only a rectangular structure containing a cube-shaped counter representing the newly planned services into the building. This is also connected to the design approach taken with Kunitomo's first project, "OMOTESANDO KOFFEE" (2011). From the beginning, the brand's vision was to bring coffee closer to the world of gastronomy and to elevate baristas to a social status comparable to that of sommeliers. 

Every store we have created so far has continued to create an environment that maximizes the value of the barista to the customer. The stair-like counter in front of the store, derived from the cube shape, has overwhelming appeal as an icon of the brand. This is a space where baristas stand to communicate with customers, sell beans, and offer takeout. 

The brass showcases displaying the coffee beans of the day and the steel back shelves are neatly arranged in a gradation of colors according to the degree of roasting, appealing not only to the sense of taste but also to the sense of sight. Behind the counter, two lines of flow lead left and right to a U-shaped counter where the baristas work at a central work table. This is a stage for the baristas to demonstrate their skills to the fullest. Here, one skilled barista is assigned to each pair of customers, who can fully enjoy the skills, manners, and hospitality of the barista. 

In selling coffee beans, they offer suggestions on everything from the equipment to brewing methods, and provide brewing recipes that match the beans, based on the concept of "improving the quality of coffee brewed at home. It has been 10 years since the first OMOTESANDO KOFFEE, and this store is a new stage for baristas, made possible by the relationships of trust they have cultivated with great roasters from around the world and the skills of the baristas who work there.