A lineup to watch—looking forward to more variety ahead
In the California city of Rancho Cucamonga, the shop is located in Victoria Gardens, an outdoor mall in the downtown area. The store’s design is simple, with white as the base color. That said, it’s so stylish that it’s hard to immediately associate it with confections from Hokkaido, Japan—it even felt like a shop known only to those in the know.
Starting with the marquee Marusei Butter Sandwich, several types of sweets and goods featuring Rokkatei’s familiar patterns line the shelves. Perhaps because items are shipped from Hokkaido, many products still appeared to be out of stock. There also didn’t seem to be any local-only items yet, so as someone who frequents Rokkatei stores in Hokkaido, the lineup felt familiar.
Possibly due to California’s warm climate, the Marusei Butter Sandwich and White Chocolate Strawberry were being kept refrigerated. After ordering and paying, the staff handed over my purchase in the familiar Rokkatei bag.
The Marusei Butter Sandwich was priced at $11 (before tax). That’s roughly three times the price in Japan, but considering price levels in California, it didn’t feel overly expensive. Because of the shipping, I was advised to consume it within a day or so.
Looking around the store, in addition to the product displays, congratulatory flower arrangements were lined up wherever space allowed. There’s no eat-in space; it’s takeout only. The backroom behind the register looked spacious enough to handle simple confectionery prep. It seems reasonable to expect the lineup to expand going forward.
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