% Arabica

% Arabica was founded by Kenneth Shoji, who opened the brand's flagship store in Kyoto's Higashiyama district in 2014 — a location the company still treats as its global headquarters. The brand arrived in Hong Kong in 2017 with two flagship cafés opened simultaneously: one inside the Star Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, directly on the harbor crossing used by the historic ferry service, and a second in the IFC Mall in Central. % Arabica's own site frames its identity around a stated philosophy, 'See the World Through Coffee,' and describes its aim as pairing 'timeless elegant design' with 'quality bespoke coffee' rather than competing primarily on origin rarity or roast technique. The company has since grown into what it calls the fastest-growing specialty coffee brand globally, expanding largely through franchise partnerships rather than company-owned stores, reaching over two hundred locations worldwide by the mid-2020s. For a visitor to the Star Ferry location specifically, the distinguishing detail isn't the coffee recipe — % Arabica's espresso format is consistent across its global locations — but the site itself: a design-forward café built into one of Hong Kong's most recognizable transit landmarks, part of the brand's original 2017 entry into the territory.