EQUALLY owner
Koichi Tomono &Yuki Tomono
Representative at kusukusu inc.
Ryu Suzuki
This time, we spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Tomono, who are the owners of the famous crepe specialty shop “EQUALLY” in Omotesando.
Already a popular crepe shop in Omotesando, Ikeary has finally opened a brick-and-mortar shop. Please tell me the meaning of “EQUALLY” in the name of the store.
The name “equal” implies “equal.” I want to cherish the time I spend at work and with my loved ones on holidays just as much.
No matter how you spend your time, you have the same amount of time, and we decided to make it an “iquary” so that people who come to “iquary” on such days can suddenly think “today was a good day” in their daily life.
The store’s logo features four lines, one of which is wavy to represent time with loved ones and a break from the daily grind. with the message that every hour is equally valuable.
How did the owner and chef Koichi Tomono start his career as a pastry chef? Also, what was the most influential experience in your career as a pastry chef?
I became a pastry chef when I (Koichi Tomono) was in high school and decided on a career path. When I suddenly thought of my family, my grandma was a Japanese confectioner, my grandpa was a wooden craftsman, and my father and brother were architectural craftsmen.
Having grown up in such a family, I also wanted to become a craftsman of some kind. Because I simply loved sweets and was a grandma, I started to walk the path of pastry chef with a light heart.
One of the things that affected me the most was my experience at my first workplace, LE PATISSIER TAKAGI. I worked under Chef Takagi, and although he was very strict, he was always kind and always cared about me saying “What does Tomono-kun want to be in the future?.”
What impressed me was that they taught me “The candy store is a happy courier, so you have to not only make the candy, but you have to make what’s beyond.”
To that end, I learned not only about making sweets but also about the importance of hospitality. I was taught that it is very important not only to our customers but also to the people we work with. It is still the basis for the operation of “Equally.”
Please tell me why you specialize in the menu called crepe.
When we first thought about independence, we decided to offer crepes and started prototyping them. However, I thought it would be more fun to have originality than regular crepes, so I got into it more and more, and the current style was finished.
The rental space was not big, so the eat-in space was streamlined by a store specializing in crepes, and the current style was created.
In that sense, if the rental space didn’t have bay windows, there is a possibility that the present crepe wouldn’t have been born, right?
That’s right (laughs) If there wasn’t really a bay window, there’s a high possibility that they would only be doing baked sweets!
You say you are particular about the materials used. What kind of materials do you choose specifically?
Eggs from Sagami are used in all crepes and baked sweets, the butter is French fermented butter “Pampley,” and vanilla is used generously in the crepe dough. How we ended up with this material, we really studied a lot of material.
It was a series of trial and error, because when the type of egg was changed, the taste was strong, the color was strong, and the goodness of butter was erased.
How did you find a design company this time?
We had originally planned to hire another design company, but we couldn’t get the project going. It was a sense of budget, the construction period, and of course, there were worries about planning, and to be honest, we were quite stuck.
At that time, I asked a chef I know, “I’m not sure what to do.” There is a good design office in Kamakura, why don’t you ask? Of course, you don’t have to decide, so why don’t you just talk about it? I contacted you on the spot. (Laughter)
Should we cancel the property? We were close to a situation where.
From there, I met Mr. Suzuki who was a couscous, and he was a very friendly person and gave me really friendly advice. I received a lot of suggestions on the spot, and I thought, “HUH!? IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN DO THIS!!” so I decided to proceed.
Please let me know if there is anything you are glad you chose our company for.
I think it was a difficult project. LOL! However, we were really impressed that they were involved in a lot of things other than architecture and helped us with details, and honestly, they made it this far. Specifically, it was quite reassuring to know the recommended e-commerce site and to give advice along the flow of making a shop.
What points did you consider important when selecting the location of the store?
We originally operated in Omotesando, and we didn’t want to be too far away for existing customers to pass. Gotoku-ji Temple is especially easy to access from Shinjuku and Shibuya. I worked for Komazawa and Todoroki, so I was thinking of doing it in Setagaya.
As a point of Gotoku-ji Temple, the shopping street is lively, there are many private shops, and there is a residential area. I wanted to compete in such a place. The property is a little big, but you should compete with big boxes from the people around you! I chose this place partly because of the advice that.
What was the biggest challenge that led you to open a crepe shop and how did you overcome it?
It’s not so much that we got over it, but that we were supported by our customers. In the first group, there were no customers, and they waited in front of the elevator all the time, and there were one group a day, and there were zero groups. Laughs. However, I am not so pessimistic. I am confident that we make really delicious food, and if we can convey that, customers will come, and I am grateful for the gradual recognition.At the time of opening, I was on loan, so people kept saying “How do you call someone on loan?” and “Who eats crepes at this price?.” But we decided to do it ourselves, and we were really supported by the people around us, and we have come to this point.
Do you have any favorite points after the shop is actually completed?
Wow ~ really everything! LOL! At first I had only a rough image, but Suzuki put it together beautifully!! The distance between the seats and the kitchen, the view from the kitchen, the layout of the kitchen, etc.
I think many other designs have no touch up to the kitchen layout. However, I am grateful to Mr. Suzuki for being close to the kitchen line and functional aspects. I think the concrete, the white walls, and the blue that goes in with the colors are very well organized overall.
I like it so much that I can come to the store without doing anything! Laughter
I think the kitchen is a place where both the chef and the design ideals enter. I think it is important to unify the atmosphere and live feeling from the viewpoint of the operation in the kitchen and the audience.
Indeed, the original plan laid out three rows of kitchen equipment, and the distance between the kitchen and the audience seats was much smaller than now.
I had a big desire to increase manufacturing, but I think the pressure will increase and there will be no shops where I can relax, so I like the layout now.
What would you like to see Mr. Eqaly do in 5 or 10 years, and what are your future prospects?
In the future, we would like to increase the number of stores both in Japan and abroad, but first of all, we would like to build a solid foundation with our first store, Gotokuji.
Finally, please let us know if you have any messages for customers visiting our store.
We have finally opened a store called Gotoku-ji Temple to welcome you, and we would like to welcome you with all the preparations. We strive to provide a space where you can feel that “every day is an important day,” which is our brand concept.
Now that you have a place where you can express the sense of the world of “Equaly” for the first time, I hope you can enjoy the sense of space and the world view.
Thank you for your cooperation, Koichi Tomono and Yuki Tomono
We are proud to have been able to help you, too.
