% Arabica

Company history

Kenneth Shoji founded the coffee brand after the Tōhoku earthquake destroyed his house in Fukushima Prefecture in 2011, prompting his move to Hong Kong. He then traveled to Hawaii and purchased a coffee farm, opening the first % Arabica café in Hong Kong in 2013. The worldwide flagship store opened in Kyoto's historic Higashiyama district in 2014, also serving as the company's global headquarters. % Arabica was described by Eater as "Japan's cult-favorite hit coffee shop." In 2022, it won the "Most Notable New Cafe" award at the UK Coffee Awards during The London Coffee Festival. The brand uses custom-made espresso machines manufactured in Seattle.

International growth

By August 2025, % Arabica had 243 stores worldwide. Its biggest international footprint is in mainland China, which hosts 88 of those locations. The brand is present in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Qatar, China (including Macau), the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Malaysia, Morocco, Hungary, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand, Oman, and Taiwan. The chain entered Thailand in June 2020 with a 250-square-meter cafe in Bangkok’s Iconsiam center, then its 48th store globally, which was called the city’s most popular specialty coffee shop.

The first U.S. location opened in Dumbo, Brooklyn on June 11, 2021. Nearly all stores are franchises, except three corporate-run shops in Kyoto. In August 2022, % Arabica opened its first Taiwan outlet at the base of Taipei Elephant Mountain and its first Bali store at Kuta Beachwalk Mall. That Bali cafe became the brand’s first to eliminate plastic cups, a policy later adopted by all future stores.

The first South Korea location followed in September 2022 in Seoul’s Gangnam district, marking the chain’s 113th global store.