Lifestyle-orientated Japanese specialty coffee brand % Arabica is delighted to announce its launch into the UK, with two London outposts officially opening on 1st November 2019. % Arabica will open its flagship store in popular East London hotspot Broadway Market and Covent Garden will see its sister site situated on King Street. Covent Garden is currently in its soft launch phase.
% Arabica is a brand recognized globally thanks to its distinctive % logo (reminiscent of coffee cherries on the branch of a coffee plant), inimitable store aesthetic and most importantly the brand’s high-quality specialty coffee menu, all brewed on state of the art equipment. The brand’s international acclaim is a testament to founder Kenneth Shoji’s four core values:
- #Seetheworldthroughcoffee – The notion of Kenbun (which loosely translated means ‘to see and to hear’ in Japanese) led founder Kenneth Shoji to create this brand motto. The company aims to open stores in amazing destinations globally so that young baristas can see the world, set personal goals and one day challenge the world with their own ideas. Twice a year, % Arabica invite baristas from around the world together for a program of events in different cities to give them an opportunity to travel, explore and learn more about coffee and its global reach.
- Timelessness – % Arabica remains true to its brand identity of offering the best beans, the best service and the best state of the art equipment and it does not need to follow or adapt to fads and trends. Kenneth believes ‘something good does not have to change’ so the drinks menu is simple and minimal. Japan is famed for having many 100-year-old companies and remaining true to % Arabica core values it will bring sustainable long term stability to the company, customers and supply chain.
- Identity – Aesthetically % Arabica spaces showcase the highest attention to detail; a minimal yet purposeful design and all original features, down to even the light switches, door handles, and amplifiers. Each store places wood-clad custom Slayer machines at centre stage, complemented by bespoke seating, mirrors and flooring. Unique to the London stores is the addition of original Smeed Dean Yellow brickwork, a nod to the traditional craftsmanship of the local community as % Arabica always aspires to achieve; celebrating the identity of every country in which new stores open.
- Japanese sense of beauty – % Arabica celebrates its Japanese roots by highlighting the culture’s hardworking, simplistic and functional ideologies. Baristas are encouraged to work with Teinei (being mindful of your surroundings) and not wasting a single movement or moment in their workflow. Every cup of coffee served must be made to the best of their abilities to showcase the quality of components in the cup and of the dedication of every member of the global team that played their part in bringing % Arabica to London in 2019.
% Arabica offers a concise coffee menu placing the greatest emphasis on solely offering the world’s best beans. Customers are invited to choose between the % Arabica blend (espresso blend combining Brazilian and Ethiopian beans selected for their unique characteristics) or a rotating Single Origin offering. The London menu offers Espresso based coffees (espresso, espresso macchiato, Americano, caffe latte, caffe mocha and the brand’s unique Spanish latte) and drip based beverages by Chemex.
Leading the way in the “New Wave Coffee” movement, % Arabica produces and roasts its own coffee and the Broadway Market flagship will house its own roasting machine allowing for customers to co-create their own blend in accordance to their distinct taste profile. % Arabica is renowned for its high-performance Slayer Espresso machines which have been customized and built by hand in the USA along with offering a traditional pure Chemex serve for worldwide coffee connoisseurs. Each barista is trained in the brand’s popular Latte Art designs.
% Arabica was founded by Kenneth Shoji, who became enthralled with the emerging coffee culture whilst studying at UCLA in the early 90’s; Starbucks exploded on to the scene and brought it with a new appreciation of experimental serves and changed the way in which we consume caffeine. Kenneth progressed to training as a barista before taking it one step further and buying a coffee farm in Hawaii. His passion led him to launch a green bean trading company and become a distributor for the technologically advanced Slayer espresso machines, Marco Uber Boiler, and Chemex in Asian markets. Realising his dream to open an international brand, % Arabica was born. To this day, Kenneth remains the creative mastermind and personally selects all of the locations, designs the stores with his preferred partners and visits coffee origins to select all of the coffee beans. Through an exclusive partnership with Latorre & Dutch, they are planning to set up washing stations in coffee origins such as Ethiopia, Uganda, Colombia, and Indonesia.