% ARABICA Kyoto Arashiyama by Puddle

A tiny coffee stand ‘% ARABICA Kyoto Arashiyama’ was designed as 2nd branch in Japan by Masaki Kato, a director of Tokyo-based design studio Puddle in 2015. Kato also designed their first venue in Japan at Higashiyama, Kyoto in 2014.

The Arashiyama branch is located along the Katsura River and is in a great location where customer can see the famous landmark Togetsukyo Bridge from inside the store. They renovated 40-year-old small arbour into a cozy coffee stand. The designer Kato said, “The first thing we thought was to figure out who should benefit from this fantastic view. We built the coffee counter in the best position with the beautiful river view, because we believe that the comfort of the workers leads the superb service and outstanding customer experience.”

The espresso machine, stockyard, roasting machine and small seating were efficiently arranged in the store, which is about 30 square meters in size. With the unique outdoor bench seatings, Puddle created a considered elevation plan that maximises the value of the location, taking into account views and safety.

The design language of the global brand ‘% ARABICA’, which evokes a sense of Japanese aesthetics through its materiality and the simple composition, has its origins in the two stores in Kyoto and the pop-up in the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art.