Hideout Prestige Over Visible Location

“By this time, the shop was operating centered around regular customers, so we weren’t too particular about having a prime location. I told Liz, “I prefer somewhere less conspicuous,” but she seemed a bit unsure about what I meant. “Why somewhere not conspicuous?” she wondered. “In Japan, there’s something called a ‘hideout style,’ where even prominent shops don’t have signs,” I explained, but she had a complex expression that suggested she understood yet didn’t.”

“A café with the unlikely name “Sweet Surprise” had previously occupied the location, and it was hard to say it was in good condition when we saw it. However, since we would be taking over the lease contract the previous owner had signed, the rent was very attractive. It was a story from over 20 years ago, but the monthly rent of $485 was exceptionally low.”