Bringing 'Instagrammable' Sweets to Fukuoka City Zoo: 72 Vocational Students Take on Cafe Menu Development

Fukuoka ECO College of Animal and Marine Technology (Hakata-ku, Fukuoka) has partnered with AQUA Co., Ltd., which operates 'Café Rassembler' inside Fukuoka City Zoo, and the zoo itself to develop new animal-themed soft-serve ice cream. 72 students from the Zoo, Aquarium & Technology major and the Zoo & Animal Care major are participating. Starting with an orientation on May 9th (Sat), they will compete through field research and presentations. The best proposal may be commercialized and sold at Café Rassembler around October 2026.

For Generation Z, 'eating' and 'photographing' are inseparable experiences, and social media-friendly food has become a new gateway to the zoo experience. This project was launched to convey the charm of animals to both zoo fans and those who rarely visit, through the collaboration of the zoo, the cafe operator AQUA, and the vocational school.

During the orientation, the zoo and AQUA presented specific requirements. The zoo requested 'cute, Instagrammable sweets,' 'sweets that appeal even to non-visitors,' and 'sweets that can be launched for animal anniversaries.' AQUA required the use of their existing 'Ito Monogatari Soft-Serve,' a preparation time of under 30 seconds per serving, and suitability for both dine-in and takeout.

The final presentation will be judged by AQUA and the zoo based on six criteria: creativity, marketability, target understanding, feasibility, research depth, and clarity. Director Hirai of AQUA commented, 'The store is the final exhibit of the facility. I am looking forward to seeing how the students' passion for animals is expressed in the soft-serve.'