Japanese boutique café chain % Arabica has returned to the Philippines, some 18 months after closing its three stores in the Asian market back in 2022.
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Located in Manila’s Mitsukoshi BGC (Bonifacio Global City) shopping centre, the new % Arabica Manila store was designed by Japanese architecture firm, No. 10, and boasts a monochrome colour palette of mostly white with licks of metallic.
Additionally, a Manila roastery will also be opened at the heart of Mitsukoshi BGC later this year, said the coffee chain via social media.
“Manila, we are back! We are ready to make a fresh start for % Philippines project with our new partner,” said % Arabica, via an Instagram post.
“For the store design, we collaborated with Japan’s no.10 as usual. With a focus on the future of % [Arabica] Philippines, we designed a futuristic space resembling a spaceship. We set up a roasting space at the entrance to provide our signature custom roasting service. We would be delighted if customers could come and purchase coffee beans for home consumption weekly,” added the coffee chain.
The Kyoto-based boutique coffee group first entered the Filipino branded coffee shop market in January 2018 with an outlet in Bonifacio Global City.
However, the company closed its three stores in the country in January 2022 after terminating its agreement with its Philippines-based franchise partner.
The new Manila location takes % Arabica’s global store count to 157, across 23 countries.