After struggling to find good coffee beans when moving to Hong Kong from Japan, Kenneth Shoji decided to launch his own coffee brand. He started his own production by buying a coffee farm in Hawaii, and began international trading by becoming a distributor of Slayer Espresso and Chemex. Then, in February 2013, he opened the first % Arabica in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong – and in September 2014, the global flagship store in Kyoto. Opening that store was all about finding franchise partners in foreign countries; a Kuwaiti partner approached him in the first month, and then a UAE partner soon after. % Arabica now has locations in 17 countries, with over a dozen more in the pipeline. Although % Arabica works with a franchising model, Shoji protects the standard of quality by closely monitoring everyday operations, selecting all the locations himself, and developing all the stores together with the chosen designers. Each store is unique, but the basic atmosphere should be the same. Tokyo-based No.10 of Nomurakougeisha is responsible for a number of % Arabica stores, but the brand also works with many international creatives, including Studio Precht (Austria), Ciguë (France) and Tacklebox Architecture (US).