Kyoto · Japan
% Arabica
% Arabica roasts in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture.
Since 2013 · Kenneth Shoji
Overview
% Arabica was founded in 2013 by Kenneth Shoji in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake destroyed his Fukushima home and prompted his relocation. Shoji bought a Hawaiian coffee farm to learn the supply side, then opened the global flagship roastery in Kyoto's Higashiyama district in 2014. The brand operates as a franchise-led chain with around 240 stores across more than 20 countries as of 2025, with the largest concentration in mainland China.
Known for
- % logo and minimalist white-on-white store design
- Custom Slayer-built espresso machines manufactured in Seattle for the brand
- Kyoto Higashiyama and Arashiyama flagships as Instagram destinations
- Largely franchise-operated except corporate-managed Kyoto stores
- 'See the world through coffee' brand motto
Why it matters
% Arabica turned a minimalist Kyoto-aesthetic coffee shop into one of Asia's fastest-growing specialty franchise concepts. Its mainland China footprint of 88 stores and rapid expansion across the Middle East and Southeast Asia have made it the most internationally recognised Japanese-origin specialty brand alongside Blue Bottle.
Production
- head roaster
- Kobe Lee (Global Head Barista)
- roastery location
- Kyoto Roastery & Bakery, Higashiyama
- espresso equipment
- Custom Slayer espresso machines built in Seattle
Café
87-5 Hoshinocho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto (global flagship)
Recognitions
- Most Notable New Café — UK Coffee Awards / London Coffee Festival (2022)
- Featured subject of Magazine B issue (2023, alongside earlier Intelligentsia and Blue Bottle issues)