Choosing delicious food shouldn't hurt anyone or anything. A coffee specialty shop aims to expand 'gentle choices' with carefully selected organic 'Japanese' drinks and baked goods free from dairy, eggs, wheat, and white sugar.
alt.coffee roasters launches fully vegan organic Japanese-style drinks and brown rice baked goods.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 08:50
We support 'April Dream,' a project that aims to make April 1st a day to share dreams. This press release is the dream of 'alt. coffee roasters.'
alt.coffee roasters (Representative/Roaster: Chihiro Nakamura), which proposes new choices for coffee and consumption, has become the first specialty coffee shop to fully transition to a vegan model, eliminating all animal-based ingredients. We have been developing products and businesses that are considerate of people and the global environment. We want our cafe to be a place where many people can spend a 'heartwarming' time without guilt. We strive to expand choices that allow customers to be kind to others without even being conscious of it, thinking, 'It was kind to the environment and producers because I chose it for its deliciousness.'
[Initiatives to date: Product development considering the environment and society, and the first full vegan transition]
Since opening in 2019, we have utilized nutritional expertise to provide vegan menus that combine taste and health using natural and domestic ingredients, as well as handling sustainable coffee beans. In 2020, we began developing and selling eco-products such as 'foldable eco-tumblers' to reduce disposable cups and 'additive-free coffee soap' made from recycled coffee grounds, practicing ESG management.
[New products considering the environment and society]
Starting in April 2026, we will offer organic matcha lattes using organic matcha from Kyoto, and hojicha lattes using whole organic hojicha, which is roasted lighter than usual for a richer aroma. Hojicha is known as 'oban-cha' in Kyoto and has less caffeine than matcha, making it easy for pregnant women and children to drink.
[Organic 'Japanese' lattes using the Uji tea brand 'Wazuka-cha']
Wazuka-cha is a brand of Uji tea harvested in Wazuka-cho, Kyoto, known as the 'Tea Hometown.' We use organic tea leaves from 'Nakai Tea Farm,' which has protected its beautiful tea fields for 350 years and has been committed to organic, pesticide-free cultivation for over 30 years. We are also collaborating with 'Genroku Tatami,' a traditional tatami maker, to create coasters upcycled from tatami waste.
[Coffee Flight: Experiencing the origin of 'Coffee is a fruit']
We offer a 'Coffee Flight' set, allowing customers to compare different extraction methods for the same coffee bean. We have also added Ethiopian natural process beans to our lineup, returning to the origins of coffee to showcase its fruit-like flavors.
[New baked goods made from raw brown rice]
Our baked goods have been reborn. We have changed our manufacturing method to avoid wheat and rice flour, using raw brown rice paste to utilize the bran, creating rich, dense cakes without oil, animal products, or white sugar. We aim to be a shop that boosts nutrition and vitality, not guilt.
We are also committed to spreading ESG management by partnering with 'Cafe’sLIFE,' a cafe opening school, to teach the next generation about social issues surrounding coffee. We will continue to strive for a society where gentle choices are the norm.
alt.coffee roasters (Representative/Roaster: Chihiro Nakamura), which proposes new choices for coffee and consumption, has become the first specialty coffee shop to fully transition to a vegan model, eliminating all animal-based ingredients. We have been developing products and businesses that are considerate of people and the global environment. We want our cafe to be a place where many people can spend a 'heartwarming' time without guilt. We strive to expand choices that allow customers to be kind to others without even being conscious of it, thinking, 'It was kind to the environment and producers because I chose it for its deliciousness.'
[Initiatives to date: Product development considering the environment and society, and the first full vegan transition]
Since opening in 2019, we have utilized nutritional expertise to provide vegan menus that combine taste and health using natural and domestic ingredients, as well as handling sustainable coffee beans. In 2020, we began developing and selling eco-products such as 'foldable eco-tumblers' to reduce disposable cups and 'additive-free coffee soap' made from recycled coffee grounds, practicing ESG management.
[New products considering the environment and society]
Starting in April 2026, we will offer organic matcha lattes using organic matcha from Kyoto, and hojicha lattes using whole organic hojicha, which is roasted lighter than usual for a richer aroma. Hojicha is known as 'oban-cha' in Kyoto and has less caffeine than matcha, making it easy for pregnant women and children to drink.
[Organic 'Japanese' lattes using the Uji tea brand 'Wazuka-cha']
Wazuka-cha is a brand of Uji tea harvested in Wazuka-cho, Kyoto, known as the 'Tea Hometown.' We use organic tea leaves from 'Nakai Tea Farm,' which has protected its beautiful tea fields for 350 years and has been committed to organic, pesticide-free cultivation for over 30 years. We are also collaborating with 'Genroku Tatami,' a traditional tatami maker, to create coasters upcycled from tatami waste.
[Coffee Flight: Experiencing the origin of 'Coffee is a fruit']
We offer a 'Coffee Flight' set, allowing customers to compare different extraction methods for the same coffee bean. We have also added Ethiopian natural process beans to our lineup, returning to the origins of coffee to showcase its fruit-like flavors.
[New baked goods made from raw brown rice]
Our baked goods have been reborn. We have changed our manufacturing method to avoid wheat and rice flour, using raw brown rice paste to utilize the bran, creating rich, dense cakes without oil, animal products, or white sugar. We aim to be a shop that boosts nutrition and vitality, not guilt.
We are also committed to spreading ESG management by partnering with 'Cafe’sLIFE,' a cafe opening school, to teach the next generation about social issues surrounding coffee. We will continue to strive for a society where gentle choices are the norm.
FAQ
Why did you transition to a fully vegan menu?
To provide a gentle choice that considers people and the global environment, allowing customers to enjoy a relaxing time without guilt.
Why do you avoid using wheat or rice flour in your baked goods?
By using raw brown rice, we increase nutritional value and ensure the delicate flavor of our light-roast coffee is not masked.
What is a tatami coaster?
An eco-friendly product developed with a long-standing Kyoto tatami shop, upcycled from waste materials generated during tatami production.