Issue: 02/2002

Cafe Jr in The Sun Arcade draws younger set

Internet bars are very popular these days, so to keep up with the new trend, Italian Tomato in Tsim Sha Tsui's Sun Arcade was just renovated and turned into a quasi self-serve Italian Tomato Cafe Jr. The Cafe offers a place where young people can surf the Internet, read or chat. This is the first outlet other than the main shop in Japan to provide such a service.

Italian Tomato Cafe Jr targets the younger set with simple, self-serve fare.

A bookstore next to the restaurant lets customers choose a magazine, taste delicious food and learn Japanese culture.

Lower operating costs benefit customers

Ginny Yau, Administration Manager of Italian Tomato, said simple self-serve coffee bars are the latest thing, with a semi-open design. The Cafe offers a simple choice of food to cut operating costs, with the price of food lowered by 40%.  The food is cooked in the same way as at the main shop in Japan to maintain quality. A wide selection of beverages draws young white collar workers from nearby and overseas visitors.

Free Internet

Cafe Jr is decorated with natural materials including rattan and wood, with a row of sofas and high wooden chairs. In one corner there are computers offering free Internet access. With interior lighting and the cafe's large windows to let sun shine in, the place is bright and comfortable, and convenient for customers to read and use the Internet.

Learning Japanese culture

The manager of Cafe Jr is Japanese. He likes reading, so next to the restaurant is a Japanese bookstore, Tomato Books, with the most comprehensive selection of Japanese magazines in Kowloon district. Customers can enjoy a cup of coffee at the same time as they buy magazines about Japanese culture.