Japanese specialty coffee brand % Arabica is making its West Coast debut later this year at The Grove, located at 189 The Grove Dr.
Founded by Tokyo native Kenneth Shoji, % Arabica takes pride in its artisanal approach to brewing the perfect cup of coffee of the highest quality. The West Coast location will be the first for the brand, with more than 110 locations globally and one current location in New York. The new Los Angeles location will open in Fall 2022, with a planned opening for September. The new coffee shop isn’t the only new addition to the shopping center, as the second location of La La Land Kind Cafe is also coming to The Grove by the end of the year.
% Arabica has plans to expand throughout the U.S. in major cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Austin, Miami, New York, and Honolulu. These new locations will help grow the brand significantly, which can already be found in 17 countries. This is an impressive move for Shoji, who opened the company’s flagship store in September 2014 in the beautiful historic city of Kyoto, Japan.
Although this is the first time the company has expanded into the West Coast, Shoji holds Los Angeles close to his heart. The founder moved to California for college and lived in Venice Beach. While in the city, he would often visit the fast-growing Starbucks to study or hang out with friends, essentially kicking off his love for coffee. Eventually, Shoji bought a coffee farm in Hawaii and launched % Arabica with the aspiration to “see the world through coffee.”
