A Note on the End of Local Delivery
A Note on the End of Local Delivery, and the Story Behind It
Before sharing the end of one small service, let me look back a little. My roastery, Botarhythm, moved to its current location in Chikura, Minamiboso, at the end of 2019. Along the way, and in the time after, a number of unexpected things happened, one after another.
That winter, with the help of friends, I started again from nothing.
An Encounter, Then One Trial After Another
In the spring of 2019, I found the building in Chikura that I now call home. Somehow it felt familiar, yet it left room to make it my own. I decided to take on the challenge here, and just as I began preparing to move, an enormous, unexpected typhoon struck the southern Boso Peninsula head on. The building, still mid renovation, took serious damage.
Even so, I managed to finish the minimum repairs by the end of the year, and quietly opened for business as a roastery right at the year's close. But just as I thought I could finally settle in, the spring of 2020 brought the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Local Delivery, to Keep Going
A roastery that had only just opened, in a place hardly anyone knew, in a time when meeting people face to face had become difficult. In the middle of those hard days, still wanting to reach someone, I started what became "local delivery."
Day after day, I drove a small pickup truck out to towns a little beyond the neighborhood, picturing each customer's face as I quietly slipped bags of coffee beans into their delivery boxes. Customers would tell me, "it arrived!" or "I can't believe how fast that was!", and I think it was those very words that kept me going.
And Now, a Turning Point
Today, the roastery is open nearly every day, and through the online shop I can now reach customers all across the country. Roasting, serving customers, and shipping orders have, thankfully, kept me busier and busier, and honestly, I no longer have the time to drive around the area the way I once did.
For that reason, I have decided to end the local delivery service. There is a certain sadness in closing the door on a service that shared so much, both hard times and good, with me, but this is a forward looking decision, made to take the next step.
With Gratitude, and What Comes Next
To everyone I met through this service, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Your words of encouragement pushed me forward again and again, and every warm exchange helped shape the Botarhythm that exists today.
Guided by the spirit of "From the Earth to Cup," I will keep bringing you coffee roasted with care from Chikura, in Minamiboso. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
P.S. The service for partner shops remains unchanged.