Caffeine Lovers Say Goodbye (For Now) to % Arabica Coffee

% Arabica Coffee—that fancy cafe that has become a favorite for caffeine addicts in the city for years—has officially closed. Social media was abuzz this past weekend over the closure of its two branches in Bonifacio Global City, as well as the seemingly sudden disappearance of its official profile on Instagram.

An official post on its Facebook page confirmed the worst: Arabica has closed because the local partner’s franchise contract with the parent company has ended. In case you didn’t know % Arabica was founded by Japanese coffee lover Kenneth Shoji, who opened the first store in Kyoto, Japan in September 2014. % Arabica opened its first branch in the Philippines in February 2018.

In the Facebook post, Arabica expressed appreciation to its loca partners for keeping the business going despite the challenges of the pandemic. 

There is some good news thankfully. According to the post, the company has found a new partner in the Philippines and “will make a fresh start this year to expand throughout the country.”

“We cannot wait to serve you our simple delicious coffee once again,” it said.

As for its Instagram page, Arabica said the account (arabica.journal) was hacked but the company is currently in the process of recovering it and hopes to have it back within the week.

See the Facebook post here: