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Kyoto · Japan

% Arabica

Since 2013 · Kenneth Shoji

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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

destoning
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head roaster
Kobe Lee (Global Head Barista)
color sorting
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roaster machine
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filter equipment
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cupping frequency
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roastery location
Kyoto Roastery & Bakery, Higashiyama
espresso equipment
Custom Slayer espresso machines built in Seattle
annual volume tonnes
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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)

Sources

More roasters