% Arabica's flagship Toronto store in Union Station has officially opened in the Bay St. Promenade. While the Yorkdale location opened in 2022, the downtown spot is being heralded as the face of the brand in the city.

% Arabica is famous for their clean, minimalist white interiors and bold typeface logo, and coffee lovers have been waiting for its arrival here since it was first announced in 2021. 

Toronto is the second city in North America to have an outpost and the Union Station spot was carefully chosen for being a core area for foot traffic.

Designed by Jeremy Barbour of Aesop fame, the cafe's floor-to-ceiling to windows provide a clear view of the bright space, with a high-standing bar running through the middle of the room and seating along the walls. 

The brand prides itself on its quality of beans and highly technical practices. 

"We know quality coffee is important to North American drinkers and I'm confident we can deliver that," Global Head Barista Kobe Lee told blogTO.

In fact, founder and CEO Kenneth Shoji cups all the green beans and decides which ones get sent out to each of the 158 stores worldwide. 

They also use sleek Slayer Espresso Machines for all their drinks, which can retail for over $15,000.

Every espresso shot is pulled for exactly 25 seconds. Lee says even if it's a second under or over, they won't serve it to customers because it wouldn't taste right according to their standards. 

All drinks come in hot and cold versions and there are three sizes to order from: 8oz. and 12 oz. for hot and up to 16 oz. for iced. 

The Spanish Latte ($6.50) uses the signature % Arabica Blend beans and is the sweetest of their coffees. 

All the Matcha is sourced from Uji, Kyoto and is both organic and high-grade. The Matcha Latte ($6.50) is an authentic and naturally sweet drink. 

The Iced Kyoto Latte ($6.50) is their classic latte using the % Arabica Blend beans and has a subtle sweetness and strong aroma. You can also order it with oat milk ($0.75) if you're going dairy-free.

The Iced Cafe Latte ($6.50) is the best-selling drink in Kyoto. It has a creamy finish. 

For a non-caffeinated option, they offer hot, cold, or sparkling lemonade. The Sparkling Lemonade ($6.75) is great for those hot afternoons when you've already had one too many coffees.

For baked goods, they offer three pastries: Pain au Chocolate ($5), Almond Croissant ($5), and Plain Croissant ($5).

They also have two types of cannelés: Original and Matcha ($6.50), which are nice and crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. I personally liked the Matcha one the most. 

You can buy any of their eight types of beans in bags ranging from 200 g to 1 kg. A 200 g bag of the % Arabica Blend will run you $22 but if you feel like splurging, you can also get a 1 kg bag of Colombia Caldas La Maria for $141.

On the back wall, they have a modular display area for their branded merch, like umbrellas, scales, filters, and hand grinders. 

Lee hopes customers are able to experience all they strive to provide, which is great coffee and warm service.

"Every one of our baristas put their heart into making coffee and I hope the customers will feel that and come back."

% Arabica Union is located at 65 Front St W Unit 416, open 7 days.