When you're traveling and walking around a lot, you often want to stop by a cafe or coffee shop to take a break, right?
Sapporo, in particular, is a city with many cafes and coffee shops. There are nearly 700 listed on iTownPage alone.

Moreover, Sapporo boasts numerous renowned establishments, making it a highly competitive area for cafes and coffee shops.
When you visit Sapporo and have limited time, it can be hard to decide where to go!

In that context, I'd like to suggest a cafe directly operated by a famous sweets shop.
A cafe run by the manufacturer of that iconic Hokkaido souvenir – there's no way it wouldn't be delicious, right?

So, this time I'll introduce you to a cafe directly operated by a famous sweets shop.

<Table of Contents>
1. Kinotoya Daimaru Store / KINOTOYA Cafe
2. Kitakaro Sapporo Main Store
3. Rokkatei Maruyama Store Tea Room
4. More company-owned cafes
4-1 ISHIYA CAFE
4-2 Senshuan Main Store
Summary

Kinotoya, a Western-style confectionery shop in Sapporo, is the parent company of BAKE, a popular shop known for its freshly baked cheese tarts and long lines of customers.
"Sapporo Agricultural College" milk cookies, certified by Hokkaido University, are a popular souvenir from Hokkaido.

Kinotoya is a beloved local brand, and they have a directly managed cafe located in the basement of Sapporo Station.
The location is the basement food hall of the Daimaru Sapporo department store, which is directly connected to JR Sapporo Station.

A large display case filled with colorful cakes – a dream come true for any sweets lover!
The entrance to the cafe is to the right of the display case.

Upon entering, you'll find the space is surprisingly spacious.

The interior, based on brown, yellow, and white, has the feel of a slightly retro coffee shop.

This time I ordered a fruit cupcake set (799 yen including tax).
A colorful array of fruits is arranged on top.

While they certainly have cakes, this cafe's real highlight is their coffee.

We use beans from "Saito Coffee," a specialty coffee shop located at the foot of Mt. Moiwa.
The rich flavor and slight bitterness perfectly complement the delicious cake.

In addition to cake sets, brunch menus such as the Croque Monsieur set (972 yen including tax) and the Friday-only all-you-can-eat cake buffet "Kinotoya Sweets Festa" (1,728 yen including tax) are also popular among Sapporo residents.

It would be nice to take a break at a cafe like this before heading to New Chitose Airport from Sapporo Station!

Kinotoya Cafe also has a branch in Odori Park. This is also a great location to stop by while sightseeing!

[Daimaru Store / KINOTOYA Cafe]
Daimaru Sapporo Store, B1F, Kita 5-jo Nishi 4-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City
Transportation: JR "Sapporo Station" / Subway "Sapporo Station"
Business hours / 10: 00-20: 00
Closed on the same days as Daimaru department store.
TEL.011-252-6161
Official website

Next, I'd like to introduce "Kitakaro Sapporo Main Store," which opened in March 2016.

This sweets shop is based in Sunagawa City, about an hour's drive from Sapporo towards Asahikawa.
It is a subsidiary of Hori, famous for its "Yubari Melon Pure Jelly."

In recent years, "Hokkaido Kaitaku Okaki" has become a huge hit.

Since Hokkaido originally had few salty confections, the appearance of Kaitaku Okaki made an impact on the locals as well.

Kitakaro Otaru Main Store, located in an old stone warehouse on Sakaimachi Street in Otaru, has long been popular with many tourists, and the Sapporo Main Store is also a shop that utilizes a historic building.

The Sapporo main building is a repurposed "former Hokkaido Prefectural Archives Annex" that was built in 1926 (Taisho 15).
This is a must-see spot for anyone who loves retro architecture!

The store, renovated by Tadao Ando, ​​exudes an ambition to become a cultural hub in Sapporo.

A cafe attached to a shop.

The white cafe has a spacious feel, almost like a sunroom.
As you'd expect from a former library, there are bookshelves covering an entire wall, filled with books of various genres.

The menu is also excellent.

Kitakaro's signature omelet rice (750 yen including tax)

This dish features Hokkaido beef and mushrooms paired with rice, topped with a fluffy, creamy omelet.

Quiche (680 yen including tax)

This menu item is only available at our Sapporo main store. It features a crispy pastry shell filled with fresh ingredients such as vegetables.

Piscotto (197 yen including tax)

A cream puff with a surprisingly chewy texture.

This cafe just opened in 2016, so be aware that there can be quite a long line on weekends and holidays!

[Kitakaro Sapporo Main Store]
1-5, 1-chome, Kita 2-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku
10:00～18:00
TEL：0800-500-0318
Official website

Next up is the "Rokkatei Maruyama Store Tea Room".
I don't think Rokkatei needs any introduction.

Their home base is Obihiro, the kingdom of sweets.
It's famous for its Marusei Butter Sandwiches and the unique packaging featuring flower illustrations.

Photo by Wikipedia/ Dddeco

(As a fun fact, the person who drew those distinctive flower illustrations was Sakamoto Naoyuki, a descendant of Sakamoto Ryoma.)

This pioneering Hokkaido sweets shop has a large and passionate following not only outside of Hokkaido but also within Hokkaido itself.

While Rokkatei also has a directly managed cafe at its Sapporo main store, just a 3-minute walk from Sapporo Station, this time I'll introduce the cafe attached to the Maruyama store, based on my own personal preference.

The coffee shop is located on the second floor of the Maruyama store.

The interior of the shop has a bright atmosphere with a white-based color scheme.
From the window, you can see lots of greenery, including the trees in Maruyama Park, which makes me feel relaxed.

First, I ordered the "Scallop Sticky Rice" (750 yen including tax).

Actually, Rokkatei sells sticky rice dishes at select stores only!
In the tea room, side dishes, pickles, and miso soup are included.

As soon as the sticky rice dish was served, the air was filled with the aroma of scallops. The miso soup also had a rich, savory broth.

Also, we recommend the pizza (650-700 yen including tax).
When you order a pizza, for some reason, scissors are placed on the table.

These scissors are for cutting pizza.
Cut it however you like.

The crispy crust is topped with a perfectly balanced tomato sauce and rich cheese, making this another dish that will leave you feeling completely satisfied!

Of course, I also recommend the sweets.

"Yukikon Cheese" (150 yen including tax). A dessert with a "shelf life of 2 hours" that is made in-store after the order is placed.
In the coffee shop, we start making your order only after we receive it.

This is a freshly baked, exquisite cheesecake!

They also have seasonal cakes. This time I had the chestnut pie (300 yen including tax).

This cafe is often so crowded that there's a line. Be especially careful on weekends and holidays!

[Rokkatei Maruyama Store Tea Room]
174, Minami 2-jo Nishi 27-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City
10:30 AM - 18:30 PM (Last order 18:00 PM)
TEL: 011-612-6666 (Rokkatei Maruyama Store)
Official website

We introduced three shops this time, but we also recommend this cafe directly operated by a famous sweets shop!

4-1 ISHIYA CAFE

The Ishiya Confectionery, the maker of the famous "Shiroi Koibito" cookies, has opened a directly managed cafe in Chikaho (Sapporo Station Underground Pedestrian Space)!

They offer their signature 3.5cm pancakes and parfaits made with "Shiroi Koibito" soft serve ice cream.

[ISHIYA CAFE]
Sapporo Odori Nishi 4 Building, B2F, 6-1, Odori Nishi 4-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City
Holiday: New Year's Day
TEL：011-231-1487

4-2 Senshuan Main Store

The main store of "Senshuan," known for its butter crackers "Yama Oyaji," also has a coffee shop.
*Due to reconstruction work since November 2017, operations are now located on the first floor of the Senshuan Annex. (Cafe menu and coffee corner are not available.)

Located on Sapporo Station Street, the shop is close to Tanukikoji and Susukino, making it the perfect place to take a break during sightseeing.

What's famous here is "Sapporo's delicious water."
This is delicious water drawn from 100 meters underground at the shop.
It was also featured on the NHK program "Buratamori".

[Senshuan Main Store]
17, Minami 3-jo Nishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City
10:00～　ラストオーダー 17：30（7/1～8/20はドリンクが18:00、ソフトクリームは19:00)
011-251-6131
Temporary location: 1st floor, Senshuan Annex, 13-2, Minami 3-jo Nishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City

Summary

Above, I've introduced several cafes directly operated by famous sweets shops.

This is another side to the popular Hokkaido souvenir sweets shop: its directly managed cafe.
Through this interview, I was able to feel the passion of these shops for food culture, something you can't experience at stores in airports, department store basements, or local product fairs!

If you have the chance, be sure to stop by and take home your favorite sweets along with a story to tell!

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