Development of Special Closing Menu in Collaboration with Kyoto Sangyo University Students

Saint-Marc Holdings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Okayama City; Representative Director and President: Yuki Fujikawa; hereinafter "Saint-Marc HD"), through its subsidiary La Madrague Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City; Representative Director: Sanshiro Hirotaka Yamazaki; hereinafter "Madrague Co."), which is dedicated to deepening and preserving Kyoto's喫茶 (kissaten/coffee shop) culture, has collaborated with students from Kyoto Sangyo University (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Kyoto City; President: Keiko Arima) to develop special closing menu items for "Kissa Madrague" Fujii Daimaru store. These items will be available for sale at the store starting April 1st.

Saint-Marc HD welcomed "Kissa Madrague," a leader in Kyoto's喫茶 culture, into its group in December 2022. As part of the Saint-Marc Group, it is committed to continuing "Kissa Madrague"'s efforts to preserve Kyoto's "Kissa Culture Heritage." "Kissa Madrague Fujii Daimaru store" is set to close due to the temporary closure of Fujii Daimaru, a landmark department store in Shijo, Kyoto, for rebuilding.

Kyoto Sangyo University's founding spirit is "to nurture individuals who will bear the future of society." Its educational goal is to develop individuals who possess rich general education, specialized knowledge and skills, a high sense of ethics, and who can accurately respond to complex domestic and international issues and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. In Professor Wataru Uemoto's seminar in the Department of Management, Faculty of Business Administration, students engage in practical gastronomy (*) marketing in collaboration with companies and local governments. From project ideas in the conceptual stage introduced by Professor Uemoto, students voluntarily select projects based on their interests and actively shape them. This allows them to learn marketing not only through lectures but also through practical experience, acquiring "on-site knowledge" for creating businesses, such as initiative and the ability to involve others.

(*) Gastronomy: Understanding local ingredients and cuisine by focusing on their cultural aspects, such as geography and history.

In this context, three fourth-year students from Kyoto Sangyo University's Faculty of Business Administration, Madrague Co., and Saint-Marc HD collaborated to develop special closing menu items to express gratitude to the closing "Kissa Madrague Fujii Daimaru store." As a final assignment for Professor Uemoto's seminar before graduation, students devised menus based on the themes of "sustainable," "Kyoto-like using Kyoto vegetables," and "food and drinks that celebrate future prospects, matching the season of encounters and farewells." Madrague Co. and Saint-Marc HD then commercialized these menus (see below).

Saint-Marc HD plans to relocate its main headquarters functions to Shijo Karasuma, Kyoto, in May of this year, establishing a "Kyoto Headquarters (tentative name)." Through this collaboration, Kyoto Sangyo University and Saint-Marc HD aim to create opportunities for practical student education, fostering immediately employable talent, and contributing to solving social issues and creating value for a sustainable and attractive city of Kyoto.

Theme: "The Bounty of Kyoto Vegetables Reflecting the Season of Encounters and Farewells"

Based on the ideas of Kyoto Sangyo University students, the menu maximizes the bounty of the earth, using sustainable and Kyoto-produced ingredients. While based on popular menu items from Kissa Madrague Fujii Daimaru store, it expresses vibrancy to evoke the season of encounters and farewells.

Kids' Lunch S (Sandai) with Soup and Pudding

This menu item features bite-sized Kyoto pork cutlets and omelets made with irregularly shaped Kyoto vegetables, presented in the style of the Kids' Lunch, a top recommendation at Madrague Fujii Daimaru store.

Price: 1,580 yen (tax included)

Mini Parfait with Spring Flowers

Using frozen yogurt, vanilla ice cream, berry sauce, and salty nut crumble, this parfait evokes an image of rich earth, trees, and flowers.

Price: 700 yen (tax included)

Marshmallow Cream Vanilla Tea "Watering the Earth"

This drink is served with marshmallows and vanilla-flavored whipped cream, where you pour in the tea yourself. Herbs sprout like new buds, coloring the season of encounters and farewells.

Price: 800 yen (tax included)

※These products are exclusive to Kissa Madrague Fujii Daimaru store.

About Kissa Madrague

Opened in 2011 (Heisei 23), taking over "Kissa Seven," which had been loved in this area for nearly 50 years since its establishment in 1963. It grew by succeeding businesses of renowned local coffee shops that served as community hubs but were facing challenges like aging owners, aiming to preserve "Kyoto Kissa Culture." In 2022, it joined the Saint-Marc Group, which resonated with its vision.

Company Profile

Company Name: Saint-Marc Holdings Co., Ltd.

Location: 173-104 Hirata, Kita-ku, Okayama City

Representative: Yuki Fujikawa

Established: July 1991

URL: https://www.saint-marc-hd.com/hd/

Business Activities: Management of subsidiaries engaged in restaurant and cafe businesses, including franchise chain systems, etc.

【 Inquiries regarding this matter 】

Kyoto Sangyo University Public Relations Department Tel: 075-705-1411

Saint-Marc Holdings Co., Ltd. Corporate Communications Office Tel: 086-246-0309