The Hello Kitty Grand Cafe opened at the Irvine Spectrum mall on Friday, September 14th. According to the L.A. Times, Sanrio, the company that invented Hello Kitty, also opened a pop-up Hello Kitty cafe in San Diego, and two mini cafes in San Jose and Rancho Cucamonga. There are also two Hello Kitty cafe trucks that drive across the United States.
I had a chance to go with a friend to the cafe on the 15th, and although the wait time for the line was one hour, it was worth it. We purchased some overpriced treats, but it was still fun, even though we were mainly paying for the experience.
Eighth-grader Erica Schwenden from Sandburg Middle School said that “The Hello Kitty Cafe was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. It honestly was a bit pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for. If you get the chance to go, you should definitely go.”
Some of the goods sold at the cafe include (but aren’t limited to): mini cakes (you can buy them in sets of four that look like different Sanrio characters,or one mini cake that resembles a present,) fresh, warm donuts, macaroons (they come in a box of five, and the pistachio one is the best in my opinion), and different kinds of drinks.
Here’s a fun fact for you: there is a private tea room, which is called the Bow Room, that can be accessed if you have paid for a reservation in advance. However, according to Sanrio’s website, walk-ins will also be accepted depending on how much room there is. Bookings for the tearoom have already been totally filled up since the cafe opened. It will cost you $55 to access the Bow Room.
Although I have personally never been much of a Hello Kitty fan myself, now I can understand why some people adore Sanrio’s collection of cute, innocent characters. I enjoyed a fun time at the cafe. The overall environment was pleasant, the food was tasty, and the decorations were very cute.
Photos by Stephanie Kiang.
