Ono has worked at CROWD ROASTER as both a barista and a roaster, having previously served as a guest barista at BARNEYS CAFE and roasting at roast events. The second store of Brewman Tokyo , led by Ono , is located in Higashi Ginza.

Brewman Tokyo has changed from a system where Ono handled everything alone to a team structure. We spoke to him about the changes that have taken place.

Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza opened in Tokyo's Higashi Ginza district in June 2024. It is the second store of Brewman Tokyo , a coffee stand run by Hikaru Ono , the 2022 Japan Brewers Cup champion and roaster at CROWD ROASTER .

As Ono says, "We've gathered a group of good vibes," the new baristas at the Higashi Ginza store are welcoming customers. Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza is a place where Shin sincerely approach the coffee in front of them and make small changes that enrich their daily lives.

Located on a quiet street near Higashi-Ginza Station and Shintomicho Station, Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza is a coffee stand-style store designed by the same designer as the Yoyogi store. When you enter the store, you will find a similar atmosphere to the Yoyogi store.

"It's exactly the same. I asked the same designer and it has the same feel. At first I wanted to make it a little different, but I thought this was good, so I went with this," said Ono .
 
The compact space, centered around a counter, allows customers to feel close to the barista, creating a sense of presence. Hand-dripped coffee and espresso drinks are served here. Each cup of coffee is carefully brewed, combining Ono 's roasting techniques with the baristas' brewing techniques.

For Ono , who had been running the Yoyogi store by himself, the Higashi Ginza store is the first store he has created with staff. The store manager is Itabashi Babaguchi .
 

Itabashi started his coffee career at Ecoma Coffee in Soka, Saitama, and later worked at THE MORNING FOLKS OSHIAGE. He is a barista who has also competed in the Japan Brewers Cup. Itabashi, a regular customer at Brewman, decided to join after a casual conversation one day.

"When I went to have coffee with Ono , we had a casual conversation and Ono mentioned that he was thinking of opening a new shop. I asked him what he thought of me, and he said yes!"

When asked about his hiring criteria, Ono replied, "Vibes." This is typical of Ono , who places importance not only on skills and career, but also on the atmosphere and values that a person possesses.

Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza is characterized by a management style that respects the autonomy of its staff to the maximum extent possible. In a store run by just three staff members, Ono 's instructions are surprisingly simple.

" Ono san only tells me about the taste. And about using the settings neatly. 'Do it neatly and serve delicious coffee,' is pretty much all he says," says Itabashi-san.

Everything from choosing the dripper to creating the recipe is left to the staff, who are also free to choose and use special drippers that are currently under development.
Ono , who also has experience running a coffee shop in Hong Kong, has a clear reason for adopting this management policy.

"The baristas in Japan are quite skilled, and they can communicate in Japanese too. It's very easy to communicate. In that sense, they're very good at fine-tuning flavors. The most important thing is taste first. They understand that. If anything, they tend to think that as long as the results are good, that's all that matters, so it's better to let them do what they want."

Ono has a clear Manabu as to why he doesn't share his recipes.

"If you tell them the recipe is like this, their thinking will probably stop. If you tell them from the beginning, they might start drinking it with the assumption that it's not good. It creates bias, so we eliminate that kind of bias. They generally know the taste we want to create."

He gives hints, not answers, and his style reflects Ono 's Manabu of nurturing the thinking and skills of his baristas.

Ono 's flexible approach is also evident in the store layout. Initially, he had planned to place the espresso machine on the customer seating side and focus on milk-based drinks. However, after listening to the staff's opinions, he changed his mind.

"When we were in the middle of setting up the store, we wondered what Brewman was all about, and it turned out to be about drip brewing, and it seemed like the staff wanted to do that too."

"In my generation, it was cool to use a machine and brew coffee quickly," Ono recalls. This style is mainstream in countries like Australia, where Ono also has experience. However, based on his observation that "kids today seem more likely to prefer drip coffee," he relocated the espresso machine to the back of the counter and made the store a place where drip coffee is emphasized.

 
They also stick to the style of hand-dripping each cup. "If we got a little busier, I think we'd have to streamline things, but we're not there yet," says Ono . Their emphasis on quality over efficiency speaks volumes about Brewman Tokyo 's dedication to coffee.

Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza is visited by regular customers from the time Ono ran a shop in Hong Kong, including customers who rushed over from Hong Kong to celebrate the opening, and customers who discovered Ono 's coffee while working in Hong Kong and continue to visit after returning to Japan.

"What made an impression on me was that at the time, a Japanese person was transferred to Hong Kong and tried Ono 's coffee there, realizing how delicious it was. When he returned to Japan, he came to Brewman," says Itabashi.
 
The location in Higashi Ginza makes it easily accessible for customers from both Japan and abroad. "The yen is weak. Overseas, they batch brew coffee and serve it quickly, but we serve it individually with ice cream, and even though we spend a lot on labor costs, the price is this low," says Ono . High-quality coffee served at Tokyo prices is also one of the great things about Japanese coffee culture.

"Sometimes people even say it's cheap," says Itabashi, and the prices are set appropriately for the value provided. "No one has said that the flavor is bland or anything like that. If anything, I get the impression that most people have a positive view of it," says Ono , who is also pleased with the results.

Ono 's words, "Face the coffee in front of you and enrich your daily life. I hope to bring about small changes," express Shin essence of Brewman Tokyo .

Based on his experience at Ecoma Coffee, Itabashi also envisioned an ideal place where "communication can be born through coffee, using coffee as a tool." Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza is a place where Ono and his "good vibes" come together to make that ideal a reality.

Ono frankly says, "I want customers to come," but he's not in a hurry. He aims to soothe the hearts of those who visit with carefully brewed coffee, one cup at a time, and enrich their daily lives. Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza's challenge has only just begun.

Ono 's roasting event is currently being held on CROWD ROASTER app! He will be roasting Ethiopian Washed Coffee!  

 
Brewman Tokyo Higashi Ginza
Address: Ishiwata Building 1F, 2-13-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Business hours: 10:00-18:00

The Higashi Ginza store will be open for special business from January 1st. Check Instagram for details.