Famous Kyoto Coffee Chain % Arabica Opening Sixth Singapore Outlet
The hoarding is already up for the upcoming coffee joint, located on the first floor of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. The space was previously occupied by homegrown bakery and cafe chain, Awfully Chocolate.
But bad news if you’re planning to sit and chill with your cuppa — a spokesperson for % Arabica Singapore tells 8days.sg that the upcoming outlet will be a takeaway-only joint. Its opening date is tentatively slated for end January.
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What’s the deal?
% Arabica hails from Kyoto, Japan, where it was founded by coffee farm owner and coffee machine distributor Kenneth Shoji in partnership with latte art world champion Junichi Yamaguchi, the brand’s former global head barista.
Arabica quickly gained prominence internationally for its coffee, brewed with beans freshly roasted on-site in its minimalist, beautifully designed stores. The chain currently operates 139 outlets across 19 countries.
% Arabica has five outlets here already
When this new outpost opens, it will join the chain’s five other outlets here. The brand first established its footprint in Singapore in June 2019 with an impossibly chic cafe at Arab Street (pictured above). Needless to say, it was a hit with hipsters and java freaks, drawing long queues when it opened (below).
Arabica quickly followed up with four more outlets at 313 @ Somerset shopping mall; Chip Bee Gardens in Holland Village; Jewel Changi Airport; and a takeout kiosk at CapitaSpring building in the CBD.
On the menu
The upcoming MBS outlet will sell takeaway-friendly food like croissants on top of drinks. These include signature brews like Cafe Latte and Espresso Macchiato. The coffee is brewed with a roster of single-origin beans from Colombia, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, or % Arabica’s own proprietary blend of beans.
Non-coffee drinkers can opt for the Matcha Latte (using matcha powder produced in-house by % Arabica Kyoto) or lemonade made fresh to order with still or sparkling water.
The brand’s stylo-Milo merch like tumblers and tote bags will be sold here too.
FYI: JJ Lin’s Miracle Coffee pop-up extended “through to 2023”
Speaking of coffee at MBS, the pop-up kiosk of local mandopop star JJ Lin’s Miracle Coffee at the Rain Oculus installation outside the ArtScience Museum announced via Instagram that it will be extending its stay there “through to 2023”. The pop-up, which drew six-hour queues on its opening day, was initially slated to last until December 29.An MBS spokesperson could not confirm when the extension ends, so we advise checking their social media accounts before popping by (the rep also didn’t reveal the opening date for Miracle Coffee’s permanent outlet in the lobby of the museum).
% Arabica’s newest outlet opens Jan 18 at #01-75/76, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Ave, S018956. More info via Facebook and Instagram.
Photos: Alvin Lim, % Arabica/Facebook
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