Tully's Coffee Japan Opens Green, Disaster-Ready Shop

Tully's Coffee Japan Co. opened a new concept shop, Tully's Coffee Shop Ekoda, in Tokyo's Nerima Ward on September 25, 2012. The shop is environmentally friendly and disaster-conscious.

The shop is equipped with rooftop solar panels, storage batteries, and an EcoCute electric water heater that can supply 420 liters of hot water in emergency situations. It is also furnished with water-saving toilets that consume 40-percent less water than traditional types. Equipment and kitchen appliances are controlled centrally through a multi-circuit monitor while electric consumption is measured by-the-minute and can be checked by the shop office as well as by company headquarters.

The shop also features select eco-friendly materials: wood from forest thinning for tables and chairs, Eco Mark-certified recycled materials for the floor, and silver skin (a layer of skin that surrounds the coffee bean) for paper napkins.

The shop is also disaster-conscious. In a blackout or disaster, storage batteries installed at the shop can power recessed ceiling lights and a television monitor for up to seven hours, digital signage in the shop broadcasts the news, and Wi-Fi service is offered to the public for free. These features make the shop a reliable place for local residents to go in emergencies.