2027 Beans Shop: In the Middle of a Dream - Episode 4: The Contract

About a week later, I received a call from Mr. Tanigawa.

"Thank you for the other day. I've thought it over, consulted with my wife, and we have decided to receive your opening guidance. However, I'm sorry to ask, but I would also like to ask for your help regarding the mini-hotel."

"Of course. However, my specialty is coffee bean shops, and while I think I can provide sufficient help with the cafe side of things, I may lack the knowledge regarding bed-and-breakfast mini-hotels. You might need someone who is well-versed in that area. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Unfortunately, I do not."

"I see. Well, I don't think there's anything the two of us can't do, so I think it would be best to refer to the opinions of people who are knowledgeable about those matters. It's not impossible that someone who knows a lot about it will appear while we are in the process of moving forward. But basically, I don't think it's something the two of us can't handle."

"In that case, I would like to sign the contract for the bean shop opening guidance, so when would be convenient for you?"

"I'm free, so any time is fine."

"Then, how about tomorrow?"

"That works. Is the Miyakoshiya in Yebisu Garden Place, the same place as last time, alright?"

"Yes. Actually, I would like to bring my wife along at that time, is that alright?"

"Of course. I have been wanting to meet her as well."

"Would one o'clock be alright?"

"One o'clock is fine. I apologize, but since I will be preparing a contract, please bring a personal seal—it doesn't have to be a registered one. Also, you can pay the opening guidance fee by bank transfer or in cash on the day. If you choose to transfer, the account details are written at the end of the opening guidance guide I gave you during the cafe course the other day."

"Understood. I will make the transfer. See you tomorrow at one."

Something began to stir within me. It was a long-forgotten, familiar buzz. When I first opened Yakan Hiko (Night Flight), and back in those days when I was opening one Yakan Hiko after another, that kind of buzz was always happening inside me. It was a buzz that never occurred when I bought or traded up my own home.

"Something is about to begin."

The next day, I once again headed to Yebisu Garden Place early. That day, I left the house wearing a proper light gray summer suit. I was also wearing a tie. It wasn't because Mr. Tanigawa's wife was coming. When signing contracts, I always head to the location in a suit and tie. Young people today don't care about such things, but for me, it's a kind of charm. A wish for everything to go well from here on out.

Today, too, I waited outside Miyakoshiya for a while, sat down, and after placing my order, Mr. Tanigawa entered the shop. His wife was following right behind him. When they reached the table, Mr. Tanigawa introduced his wife.

"This is my wife, Keiko."

I also stood up and greeted them, saying, "I'm Yamashita." I invited them to sit, and the two sat side-by-side in the seats across from me. His wife seemed like a very lovely person. Lately, I find it hard to tell the age of both men and women I meet for the first time, but I suspect she is about the same age as Mr. Tanigawa. The two ordered coffee, and my Mandheling French, which I had ordered earlier, arrived. I didn't order cake today because I thought I wouldn't be able to eat it while signing the contract.

We read through the opening guidance contract and finished it quickly. If there were to be any issues with this contract, it would be the following two points.

One was regarding the opening location. That a bean shop or a cafe that roasts beans could not be opened within Fuchu City, where <Yakan Hiko> is located. Furthermore, that it could not be opened near any of the shops I had previously provided opening guidance for. There was a clause stating that if any issues arose, they would be left to my judgment.

The other point was that as long as <Yakan Hiko> continues to operate, I cannot provide opening guidance or similar services. These were the two points. I have never had any trouble with this, but for me, these two points were important.

Mr. Tanigawa understood everything and signed it willingly, and I also signed and stamped it.

I had already confirmed that the opening guidance fee had been transferred, so I informed them of that.

"Regarding this project, the first issue will likely be finding a location. Do you have any places in mind or any preferred areas?"

"No. There is nowhere in particular. However, both Keiko and I love the ocean, so we would like to be near the sea. Another thing is that both of our parents are still healthy, so if possible, we would like a place that isn't too far from Tokyo. So that we can return immediately if something happens."

"I understand."

"Next is the issue of funding. How much will it cost?"

"Hmm. That is different from my usual small bean shop talk, so I can't say easily, but I think the biggest difference will be whether you buy or rent the property. To be frank, how much capital have you prepared?"

"We have about 35 million yen available."

"That's impressive for such a young couple."

"It's the total amount from selling the apartment we were living in in Tokyo, after paying off the remaining debt, plus the savings we have been putting away little by little for this. I think it might not be enough, though."

"Well, if it were the small business bean shop I usually talk about, you could build five or six of them with that. But this case is a bit different, so I can't tell you right away. As I mentioned earlier, the situation will change significantly depending on whether you rent or buy the property."

"I understand the situation well. A 1kg roaster will be fine, right?"

"Yes. I think a small roaster will be fine."

"Also, since you are starting a business, I think you will be able to borrow money. In that sense, if you buy a property, you can use it as collateral to borrow even more, but even if you rent a property, I think you can use government or prefectural funds. With that much capital, you might be able to make it work."

"After all, the rest is the location."

"Let me take this home and look into it. I think there are various places, and I believe that everywhere is happy to have more people now, so it shouldn't be a bad deal for the other party."

I said this and brought the conversation to a close for the time being. After that, we chatted about our recent situations and discussed the recent rise in the price of green coffee beans.


Episode 4 finished. Continued in Episode 5.


2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Synopsis Episode 1 <The World is...> | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 2 <Last Day of the Summer Cafe Course> | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 3 The Beginning | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 4 The Contract | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 5 Finding a Property | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 6 To Izu | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 7 <Izu Kogen> | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 8 To West Izu | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 9 An Angel Appears | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 10 Property Contract | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 11 About the Cafe | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 12 Interior and Exterior (1) | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 13 Interior and Exterior (2) | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 14 Roasting and Extraction | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 15 Work Until Opening | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 16 Creating a 1kg Roaster Manual | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)
2027 Beans Shop <In the Middle of a Dream> Episode 17 (Final Episode) Opening | Minami Postal Machine's Cafe Course (Bean Shop) (note.com)