Donut shop offering soybean donuts opens in Tenmonkan, Kagoshima
The display case lined with “Nico Donuts”
Nico Donut/Kitchen Nanahoshi Tenmonkan, a shop with a café offering donuts, hot dogs, and pasta, opened in Tenmonkan, Kagoshima City, on December 10.
The construction company, Tahara, manages the shop. In May this year, the company opened Aira Nanahoshi Nursery School in Aira City in response to the voices of people who wished to work but were unable to leave their children unattended. As many children are on waiting lists for nursery school admission in the city, the company wanted to contribute to the local community. Tahara also launched a food-service division, promoting the “Nanaohoshi” brand. The new outlet in Tenmonkan is its first.
The shop has an area of 150 square meters. The display case is lined with many “Nico Donuts,” which originated in Yufuin, Oita Prefecture. The café at the back of the shop has a counter with seven seats, six tables for two people, and four tables for four people. It also has an area for children with picture books and toys at the far end.
“The donuts are made with soybean paste with full of nutrients,” said Takeshi Nohira, the manager of the Food and Beverage Division. The paste is produced using a patented method of “mashing soybeans without releasing their smell.” There are 13 varieties of donuts, including plain, chocolate, strawberry milk, matcha milk, honey kabosu, and brown sugar, priced from 170 to 260 yen.
The café menu includes hot dogs (from 480 yen) made with sausages from Culsko in Kawakamicho; bagel sandwiches (from 430 yen) with a choice of cured ham or egg; four types of panini (480 yen each); and five types of pasta (from 950 yen). “We source the bread for hot dogs from a bakery in Yoshino, the pasta from Yufuin, and the ice cream from Hokkaido, all of which contain soybean paste,” Nohira said. “Children will not eat boiled soybeans as they are. By adding soybeans to their favorite foods, we try to create a menu that will nourish them without them even realizing it.”
He also added: “We want to create a friendly place where you can come and forget about the realities of everyday life. In the future, we hope to open specialty stores such as bars and tempura restaurants under the Nanahoshi brand.” The company plans to open its second store at the beginning of next year, adjacent to the Aira Nanaohoshi Nursery School.
Opening hours:10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.