'Bachan Kissa' (Grandma's Cafe) to Go Nationwide as Future Social Welfare—Ukiha no Takara Inc. and Coconiaru Inc. Form Business Alliance to Launch Franchise.

Ukiha no Takara Inc. (Headquarters: Ukiha City, Fukuoka; CEO: Mitsuru Okuma) and Coconiaru Inc. (Headquarters: Amagasaki City, Hyogo; CEO: Ryo Fujimoto) have entered into a business alliance and will begin accepting franchise (FC) applications for the nationwide expansion of 'Bachan Kissa,' a cafe where grandmas aged 75 and over work, starting from Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

'Bachan Kissa' is a community diner where local grandmas, and sometimes grandpas, work and serve heartwarming, home-cooked lunches and desserts. While it shares similarities with the 'Kodomo Shokudo' (Children's Cafeteria) movement spreading across Japan, its unique feature is creating a sense of purpose for seniors through 'working' and 'earning,' while also promoting intergenerational exchange. Through this project, we aim to establish 'Bachan Kissa' as a social and future welfare infrastructure and expand it nationwide.

■ Background
Japan is a country with a particularly advanced aging population. As of 2024, the population of those aged 75 and over is approximately 20.78 million (about 16.8% of the total population). While Japan has a long average life expectancy, it also faces growing challenges such as senior isolation and an increase in dementia cases.
However, being elderly, receiving care, or having dementia does not mean one is incapable. Within the current framework of nursing care services, the elderly are often positioned as beneficiaries or recipients of support. But of course, these grandmas, as seniors in life, possess a wealth of experience and wisdom. Additionally, they have a pure desire to contribute to and engage with others.
In a super-aging society, how the older generation can continue to be active, and remain engaged with society and their community while enjoying themselves, has become a more crucial theme than ever. 'Bachan Kissa' is one of the solutions.

■ What is Bachan Kissa?
'Bachan Kissa Tokidoki Jiichan' (Grandma's Cafe, Sometimes Grandpa), managed by Ukiha no Takara Inc., is a cafe where grandmas aged 75 and over work. Its charm lies in their home-cooked meals, warm communication, and profound life experiences. Since its establishment in 2019, Ukiha no Takara has consistently created jobs and workplaces for seniors aged 75 and over for seven years through its 'Grandma Business.'

To date, there are two directly managed stores in Fukuoka Prefecture, and franchise/partner stores in Kumamoto, Nagasaki, and Wakayama Prefectures (a sister store: Bachan Sakaba). In Kasuga City, Fukuoka, a community development support organization (NPO Kasuga Machizukuri Support Center Budou no Niwa) operates a Bachan Kissa as a partner. In Fukuoka City, they have teamed up with 'NPO Nagomi no Ie,' which operates small-scale multifunctional home care facilities and community spaces, to run two stores: one in the UR Shikata housing complex and another in the Bairin area of Jonan Ward. The famous tonkatsu (pork cutlet) lunch here is fried by a grandma who is a user of Nagomi no Ie. This grandma, who has dementia and used to fry tonkatsu at home every day, has shed the 'dementia' label to serve tonkatsu to customers as a star grandma.

This scene has gained widespread recognition through a Yahoo! News documentary and winning the grand prize at the NHK 'Dementia-Friendly Community Awards.' As a result, many inquiries have been received from individuals, non-profit organizations, local communities, municipalities, and companies across the country, expressing a desire to implement this in their own regions.
With the current business alliance with Coconiaru Inc., we aim to make this initiative a replicable model and expand it nationwide, rather than keeping it confined to a few areas.

■ Three Franchise Plans
Through this partnership, we have systematized the know-how for launching and operating 'Bachan Kissa' and will offer it as franchise (FC) plans that can be adopted by various entities such as companies, welfare corporations, and individuals.

【Small FC - Ume (for individuals and non-profit organizations)】
An affordable plan with an initial fee of 138,000 JPY and a monthly fee of 6,000 JPY, designed for easy adoption by individuals and community groups.

【FC - Take】
For corporations and organizations in the nursing care and welfare field aiming to create purpose for seniors and contribute to the community. The initial fee is 1,880,000 JPY with a monthly fee of 18,000 JPY, including support from launch to self-sufficient operation.

【FC - Matsu】
In addition to launch support, this plan offers comprehensive consulting, including branding and recruitment support, to maximize the value for the entire enterprise. The initial fee is 3,600,000 JPY with a monthly fee of 18,000 JPY.

■ Roles of the Two Companies
Ukiha no Takara Inc. will provide the 'Bachan Kissa' know-how and food production, while Coconiaru Inc. will handle community development consulting and branding, offering multifaceted support to franchisees.

■ Future Development
We will continue to expand our locations nationwide and collaborate with companies, municipalities, and welfare providers to build new community relationships centered around 'Bachan Kissa.'

■ Online Information Sessions
We will hold three online information sessions in July and August for those interested in the franchise. Applications can be made through a dedicated form.