"Ota x Ishii DELA LOVER" is a variety show where Bakusho Mondai's Hikari Ota and TV Host Ryoji Ishii delve into the classics of the Tokai region! This time, it's a special on factory direct sales stores with long lines. Because they are stores operated by food manufacturers' factories, the taste is excellent and the prices are incredibly low! It's worth going out of your way to buy them! We thoroughly investigated factory direct sales stores with long lines! (Prices are as of the broadcast)

What is the secret to the low prices at a factory direct sales store that produces approximately 200,000 sweets a day?

We introduce "Outlet Sweets Lopia," a super-affordable factory direct sales store of "Lopia," which handles major convenience store sweets. It's about a 5-minute drive from JR Inazawa Station in Kitanagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. When we arrived 30 minutes before opening, there was a long line of over 30 people looking for cheap sweets!

Lopia is a sweets manufacturer founded in Aichi Prefecture in 1970. By the way, it has no relation to the supermarket "Shokuseikatsu ♡♡ Lopia."

The head office factory is located about a 5-minute drive from the direct sales store, and produces approximately 200,000 sweets a day for sale at major supermarkets and convenience stores.

Cream puffs, which usually cost 1,600 yen for 8 (200 yen each) and are very satisfying, are sold at the direct sales store for 600 yen (75 yen each), which is less than half price! Rich and smooth chocolate cheesecakes, which cost 790 yen for 5 (158 yen each), are now 500 yen (100 yen each).

Some of the products overproduced at the factory are also sold at outlet prices. According to sales representative Yajima, surplus products manufactured in case there are problems with ordered items are sold at a low price. Since they can only be purchased at outlet prices at the factory direct sales store, it is a huge success every day.

Unique smoothness

Introducing Lopia's top 3 most popular sweets at the direct sales store!

Lopia's most popular sweet, #3, is "Kinugoshi Pudding." This rich, milky pudding sells approximately 10.2 million units annually. At the direct sales store, it's 100 yen instead of 158 yen per piece!

The reason for its popularity is its addictive "smoothness." According to sales representative Katakura, the secret to its smoothness is the "dough composition." The key is the ratio of milk to eggs. Compared to other puddings manufactured by Lopia, the amount of eggs is two-thirds. By reducing the egg ratio, the dough is less likely to solidify. Because the dough becomes more prone to crumbling, they are particular about the baking temperature. The baked pudding has an exquisite softness! It has a unique smooth texture.

The secret to deliciousness lies in "manual labor"!

Lopia's most popular sweet, #2, is the "Petit Series." Approximately 50 million units are sold annually. Its convenient size is popular, and it offers a variety of sweets such as puddings, mousses, and jellies, with 10 types always available.

Among them, the "Petit Tiramisu" is an unwavering favorite. At the direct sales store, it's 100 yen instead of 158 yen per piece!

According to Katakura, the commitment of the Petit Series is "manual labor." Petit Tiramisu is a four-layer creation: tiramisu mousse, cocoa sponge, tiramisu cream, and cocoa powder. Delicate processes are required within the small cup, and that balance is crucial for the texture and taste when eaten, so full mechanization is not possible. 12 staff members are assigned to one line. They divide the processes of sponge, cream, powder, etc., by hand. Approximately 2,400 units are produced per hour.

Popular cream puffs become outlet items!?

Lopia's most popular sweet, #1, is "Homemade Custard Cream Puff." The fragrant cream puff shell is filled with plenty of sweet, eggy custard. At the direct sales store, it's 100 yen instead of 110 yen per piece!

The secret to its popularity is the smooth custard and dough. Approximately 60,000 to 70,000 cream puffs are produced daily, using about 750 kg of eggs per day for the dough! Baked fragrantly at about 250°C, the moisture evaporates, creating a fluffy cream puff shell. Once filled with plenty of cream, it's complete.

During the close observation of the cream puff production process, some items were rejected from the line. Even if the quality is perfectly fine, if the weight differs by even ±1g from the standard, it becomes an "off-spec" outlet item!

In addition to weight, if cream comes out of the dough and stains the bag, it also becomes an outlet item. Since cream can sometimes slightly overflow from the injected hole, it is manually removed while visually checking. Approximately 40,000 items are checked daily!

Furthermore, cheesecakes that are about half the regular price at 100 yen each become outlet items because the cheesecake has peeled off too much from the cup. Chocolate cheesecakes become outlet items due to noticeable dents on the surface. Even products with slight cosmetic imperfections are sold at incredibly low prices at the direct sales store because it would be a waste to discard them.

From CBC TV "DELA LOVER" broadcast on July 1, 2026