Japanese premium coffee brand opens 1st shop in Budapest! – PHOTOS
% Arabica, the Japanese-owned, Hong Kong-registered coffee brand has opened its first shop in Hungary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement on Friday. According to their official Facebook page, the official opening of the place was on 26 January and Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, visited it yesterday. Here is what you should know about the new café, where you can find it and some photos of its astonishing 22nd-century-like interior.
Japanese premium coffee brand opened 1st shop in Budapest
Speaking at the inauguration in Budapest, Szijjártó highlighted Hungary’s role as a “bridge” for cooperation between East and West and noted that it was now no longer difficult to hop on a direct flight to Budapest from a number of big Chinese cities, such as Shenzhen or Hong Kong. He added that Chinese tourists had spent over half a million guest nights in Hungary last year, supporting the sector’s record performance.
Szijjártó said the choice of Hungary for the first % Arabica shop in Central Europe was reason for pride, adding that the franchise owners saw it as a first step with more to follow. He pointed to an eight-year cooperation with the investors that extends to gastronomy, tourism and an exhibition space for young Hungarian artists, offering them a chance to raise their profiles on Asian markets.
Tradition and modernism
Szijjártó said that the investment of the Arabica blends international modernism and national traditions since the interior of the shop is entirely 22nd-century while Zsolnay, a prestigious Hungarian trademark, is also present. He said that is how tourists visiting Hungary can learn about our traditions while seeking something new.
The owners of the franchise said that the opening of their first shop is just the first step which will be followed by more. Szijjártó hoped that their investment would bring much success, so they would continue their expansion in Hungary.
He said that the Hungarian government had been cooperating with the owners for eight years, and they already inaugurated an exhibition place where they provided space for young Hungarian artists to showcase their talent on the Far Eastern markets.
In his Facebook post, Szijjártó concluded that it was worth opening the country for Eastern investments since they made Hungary a flagship of Eastern efforts in Europe.
% Arabica started recruiting last December and kicked off with a staff of seven people.
Kenneth Shoji, the founder of the franchise
On their Facebook page, they introduce Kenneth Shoji, the founder of the franchise. “I truly need an amazing cup of coffee every day. This is why I founded % ΔRΔBICΔ.” Born in Tokyo, Kenneth developed a love for coffee while studying in California for university. His father was the owner of a trading company and would take Kenneth overseas whenever possible during his frequent business trips – ultimately helping to inspire Kenneth’s love of multiculturalism, design, and architecture.
Despite his father’s advice to never go into a business that you will have fun with, Kenneth decided in his 40s to pursue his passion and started % ΔRΔBICΔ in 2014. Today, he is constantly flying across the world and working 24/7/365. He focuses his time on formulating each location’s design language as well as selecting coffee beans and maintaining quality control.
Before the opening, Mr Shoji travelled to Budapest for a final check and staff training. “Kenneth also spent time enjoying our city’s attractions and food. He really enjoyed Hungarian food – his favourites were stuffed cabbage and lángos!”, Arabica Hungary wrote on their Facebook page.
Here is a map showing where you can find them:
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