On April 15, the pre-opening event of a café-bar and guesthouse run by ‘PoRtaru,’ a limited liability company (LLC) established by Otaru University of Commerce students, was held in the Hanazono shopping district of Otaru. The company hopes the facility will be used as a base for regional interaction, and plans to review its opening hours and services in response to users’ opinions, before operations are scheduled to begin in earnest in mid-May.
　
In the four-story building called ‘Community Base Tug-B,’ the first floor is a café by daytime (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and a bar at night (8 p.m. to midnight). The café serves light meals such as hot sandwiches (500 yen) and pudding, as well as beverages. “We hope it will become a place where people can casually visit and experience new encounters,” enthuses PoRtaru’s representative, Morita Norika (21). The guesthouse is located on the second floor of the building.
　
A crowdfunding campaign was launched to supplement the initial self-funding required to open the establishment. In the two months until the end of March, 322 people had pledged a total of 4,099,000 yen.

The third floor of the building has been used as a share house since last December. “We have finally started as a complex, including a café. We want to make the most of this space to realize our ideas for community revitalization,” said Morita.
　
The cafe-bar is open Thursday through Sunday. The guesthouse offers beds in dormitory rooms for 2,400 yen per night, or 1,900 yen per night for students. For inquiries and reservations, mail info@tug-b.com.