Whether it’s for the Aritzia Warehouse Sale or Crumbl Cookies, one thing seems clear: Vancouverites will line up for hours for almost anything. So when we heard people were waiting over an hour for % Arabica’s Vancouver coffee pop-up, we knew we needed to see what all the fuss was about.
We showed up on a Tuesday at around 1 pm, thinking it wouldn’t be busy since it was the middle of the work day. We were then greeted with a sign advertising an hour wait time. While we were shocked, we were also dedicated to trying this coffee, so we got in line, started our timer, and prepared for the long haul.
For starters, the line looks deceptively long. Since this pop-up is at the Oakridge Park Gallery, most of the line is outside the building to prevent congestion inside. A staff member at the door lets an allotted number of people inside to line up at the actual kiosk. At around the 10-minute mark, we walked in and lined up behind two groups of people.
Daily Hive
After ordering (we got the iced Kyoto latte), we joined a larger group of people waiting for their coffees. From as far as we could tell, drinks were sorted into three categories: immediately ready, quick drinks, and larger orders.
The person who ordered in front of us got an iced matcha latte and received her drink within seconds since all the barista had to do was pour it into a cup with ice. We joined the queue of quick drinks since we only ordered one thing and ended up waiting around 15 minutes before our drink was finished. We tried to avoid the jealous gaze of others who had made larger orders before us as we grabbed our drinks.
While the space is aesthetically pleasing, there is no seating available at the pop-up. Instead, we took our drink outside and sat on a nearby bench.
Daily Hive
So, what did we think of % Arabica? Honestly, it was fine. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing, or our coffee taste buds aren’t refined, but it tasted like any other iced latte we’ve had in Vancouver.
For a 12 oz drink, it came out to $7.30 (that includes tax), which is a little on the pricier side for a flavoured latte but not absurd by Vancouver standards. But would we wait nearly 30 minutes for this coffee? Maybe not. Instead, we’d probably head over to the nearby Breka or JJ Bean to get our caffeine fix.
When asked, staff told us that the % Arabica coffee pop-up would be around until September 20, but encouraged customers to check its Instagram in case it is extended.
Will you be checking out the % Arabica coffee pop-up in Vancouver? Let us know in the comments.
% Arabica — Vancouver (kiosk)
Address: Oakridge Park Gallery — 1067 W Cordova Street, Vancouver