PROFILE
Ichinose-san, owner of the coffee shop "drip" that opened in Ikejiri-Ohashi, and Takizawa-san, assistant owner. They serve hand-drip coffee and delicious food in a quiet neighborhood, even though it is located next to Shibuya station. Both of them are usually active as models for advertisements and fashion brand lookbooks.
Instagram : @drip_ikejiri
Why two models opened a coffee shop.
You both work as models. Why did you start this store?
Ichinose:I have been posting mainly Italian recipes on Instagram under the name "Nose Gohan (@nosegohan)," and a designer who saw my posts approached me and said, "I would like to do something together. I was given the opportunity to hold a pop-up restaurant for two days only at the place he was using as his office. I invited Takizawa to join me, and that was the beginning of "drip.
Takizawa:My parents have a jazz cafe that serves home-roasted coffee, so coffee and tea have been around me since I was a little girl, and I really like them. I enjoy baking sweets, and I also had a part-time job in the restaurant industry, so I also liked cooking. I was thinking vaguely that I wanted to do something I liked besides modeling, and I was invited to try it out.
Ichinose:The event was well received by our friends and we wanted to continue it, so we decided to open a store. We decided to open a coffee shop after considering the capacity of this location and the kitchen facilities.
I see that "drip" was started with the desire to have people enjoy eating and drinking as a restaurant.
Ichinose:Of course I want people to enjoy the coffee and food, but I also want to value a place where I can meet people because I have fewer opportunities to meet people because of the Corona Disaster. I have seen artists and creators working individually, and I thought it was important to meet people. I also hope to make this place a place where art and other activities can also be involved in the future.
What is it about your store that you are particularly particular about?
Ichinose:We basically brew coffee by hand drip at lunch as we usually do. There are actually very few stores that brew coffee by hand drip for set drinks such as lunch.
Takizawa:We change the coffee beans according to the season so that you can enjoy it no matter how many times you come.
Ichinose:Third wave coffee has become popular, but many people don't like the distinctive acidity of coffee. At "drip" we take this into consideration and select coffees with a balance that even those who like bitter coffees can drink comfortably.
You also sell cups and plates that you actually use in your store. The place was used by a designer, and the sense of style is outstanding.
Ichinose:We decided to start "drip" because we could relate to the sensitivity of such designers. We asked graphic designer Kazuki Kobayashi to design our original logo and mugs, and we also created original T-shirts for the store.
