The Story
% Arabica was founded by Kenneth Shoji, a Japanese-Canadian entrepreneur whose coffee journey began after the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake destroyed his home in Fukushima Prefecture. After moving to Hong Kong, he decided to start a coffee business, traveled to Hawaii and purchased a coffee farm, and opened the first % Arabica café in Hong Kong in 2013.
Shoji’s inspiration traced back to his college years spent studying at a Venice Beach Starbucks, where he reflected on wanting “a simple and down-to-earth life and an amazing cup of coffee every day,” which became the foundation for % Arabica.
In 2014, the worldwide flagship store opened in Kyoto’s historic Higashiyama district, which now serves as the company’s global headquarters.
When choosing a location for Japan’s first store, Shoji deliberately selected Kyoto over his native Tokyo, explaining “Kyoto is the best place to create a Japanese brand” as the ancient capital where many Japanese cultures, such as tea ceremonies and flower arrangements, were born.
From this foundation, % Arabica has expanded rapidly to 239 locations globally as of 2025, operating stores across 17 different countries from China to Qatar.
Sourcing & Relationships
Shoji’s commitment to quality began with personal investment—he borrowed money to buy a coffee farm in Hawaii and also started trading green beans from around the world, becoming the sole-exporter of a Japanese roasting machine along with the distributor of premium espresso machines.
% Arabica uses only the highest quality single-origin specialty coffee beans available for their signature blend.
The company takes pride in using beans from its own coffee farm in Hawaii and from around the world, striving to source all beans directly from origins, with Kenneth and head barista Junichi traveling to various coffee origins globally.
The brand emphasizes high-quality coffee sourced from regions like Hawaii, where Shoji personally invested in a coffee farm, focusing on simple, exceptional espresso and brewing techniques using premium equipment, with their core philosophy using only 100% Arabica beans sourced from premier regions to deliver a balanced, high-quality brew.
Each % Arabica location worldwide is designed to suit “the flavor preferences of the local people” and to respect the baristas who work in each region, ensuring that each store offers a taste that can only be experienced at that particular location.
Roasting Philosophy
% Arabica employs cutting-edge roasting technology, using Tornado roasting machines that can roast beans within 15-20 minutes and prepare up to 100 grams of beans, with computerized precision to ensure accuracy every time.
Their signature blend is tailored by founder Kenneth Shoji, with subtle adaptations made over time in conjunction with coffee seasons or as new lots come in to create an elevated blend, always maintaining rich flavor with subtle sweetness, a full body and a smooth finish.
% Arabica serves as the official distributor for Slayer espresso machines in Japan, using these premium machines which are considered “the Rolls Royce of espresso machines” in their cafés.
Across all % Arabica stores, they use custom espresso machines built in Seattle to give their baristas more control over extraction, which combined with beautiful minimalist Japanese design creates a fantastic coffee experience that is truly unique.
Their preferred roast profile for the % Blend is Level 6, with tasting notes of dark chocolate, nuts, and caramel, featuring a winey character with mid-high body and low acidity.
What to Try
The % Arabica Blend is their signature coffee used to craft the perfect espresso in all stores worldwide, always very chocolaty and excellent with milk or as an Americano.
After spending a year persuading world latte art champion Junichi Yamaguchi to become head barista, % Arabica has become renowned for exceptional espresso beverages and latte art.
The Kyoto Latte, originating at the flagship Higashiyama store, blends rich espresso, silky steamed milk, and a touch of condensed milk, creating a smooth balance that highlights deep chocolate undertones and subtle fruit notes.
The menu is deceptively simple: single origin or blend, hot or iced varieties of espresso-based beverages.
Over two dozen varieties of coffee beans are on display and they can roast to order.
While the menu consists primarily of drinks, the Higashiyama main store offers baguette sandwiches during breakfast hours, and in addition to espresso-based and drip-based coffees, matcha lattes are also available.
Their espresso blend latte features fragrant, thick, and creamy milk foam that accentuates the roasty, aromatic espresso beneath with slight acidity and notes of chocolate and caramel.