On January 16th, the Student Venture Cafeteria, a restaurant run by students on campus, announced which stores will open in 2025.
The Student Venture Cafeteria was created following an internal call for applications following the closure of Shoten and Omusubi Yui, and received two new applications from students and a continuing application from one graduate.
On December 19, 2024, the three submitted their business plans and made a presentation to President and Vice President. After a comprehensive evaluation, it was decided that Manpuku Dining would continue and that Kojiro Katsuragawa (a graduate of Misawa High School), a second-year student Department of Business Administration at the Faculty Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, and Shuzo Suzuki (a graduate of Kyoei Gakuen High School), a first-year student in Faculty of Service Innovation would be the new managers.
Katsuragawa's mission is to "sow the seeds of fair trade throughout Japan" through food, and he runs a restaurant called "Tonar" that combines Japanese cuisine with fair trade. Katsuragawa learned about child labor and poverty in developing countries during his high school days, and since enrolling at CUC he has been working to promote fair trade awareness through the CUC Ethical Student Club. A preliminary survey revealed that students who had "no experience purchasing fair trade products" will be provided with a menu using fair trade certified products. Katsuragawa was also praised for his enthusiasm to create an opportunity for local children to learn about fair trade, starting with our university, a fair trade university.
Suzuki will continue the concept of "connecting the university with the community, and people with people" from the existing store "Omusubi Yui," where he gained part-time experience, and will focus on freshly made ramen, which is in high demand among students. The store will be called "Ramen Yui." Test marketing was conducted in advance, and based on feedback from customers, a product development project was launched with part-time applicants, and the company has begun adjusting the taste and the ideal noodles with noodle manufacturers. The company was recognized for its enthusiasm to continue the good points of "Omusubi Yui," which values local production and consumption and ties with the community, and its enthusiasm for developing new products.
Mr. Katsuragawa and Mr. Suzuki will be completing the necessary preparations to open their restaurant, such as obtaining a business license and filing a notification to start a private business, and will be opening their restaurant in April. Please support them!
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