Fender has opened its first standalone cafe location in Tokyo, and its menu is extremely on-brand.
Situated in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, a neighborhood known for its indie music scene, it builds on the Big F’s burgeoning coffee-fueled cafe portfolio. Its flagship Tokyo store, which opened in 2023, includes an in-shop cafe.
Fender Cafe Shimokitazawa opened on July 3, marking the brand's first standalone cafe location. Yet, while you can’t get a side of Stratocaster with your flat white, there are plenty of nods to all-things-guitar across the location.
From plectrum-shaped stools that lean into urban coffee-house chic to a wall-mounted 1969 rosewood Telecaster hanging off the wall – a model George Harrison and Josh Homme have both played – and a menu that nods to Fender’s 80-year history, subtlety has been left at the door.
In fact, the inclusion of the left-field rosewood electric guitar nods to the very genesis of the store's design.
“The new store adopts a space design inspired by the 1969 Rosewood Telecaster that has left its name in music history,” says Fender Japan, via The Japan Times. “Fender combines the spirit of rock and roll with California coffee culture with Japanese sensibilities, craftsmanship, and subtle hospitality.”
The menu continues the trend. Customers can quench their thirst with a Stratocaster rose latte or Telecaster maple latte, for instance, and it has a signature coffee blend called First Set. Meanwhile, hungry bellies can be satiated with a Six Strings Burger or Chicken Overdrive Rice.
If it’s looking for more puns to expand its menu with in the future, Guitar World humbly suggests the Mustang Macchiato, Early Grey Tweed, and Deluxe Decaffe. 'Capo-cino' has a nice ring to it, too.
“Fender Cafe Shimokitazawa aims to blend in with nature’s daily routine in this city and create a community place where music-loving people can connect at ease,” Fender Japan expands. “Musicians, community people, live house attendees, and musicians.”
“Set in Shimokitazawa, where the culture of live music is particularly breathed in Tokyo, with the concept of ‘Good Coffee, Good Vibes’, we propose a new music lifestyle where music fits everyday life.”
From bonkers finishes to reviving unconventional classics, Fender Japan has proved time and again that it does things differently.
There’s an enviable creative freedom at play that left GW gobsmacked when it made the journey over to the Japanese capital last year.
For more, head over to the Fender Cafe Instagram page.
