Hello Kitty pop up restaurant is coming to California

A Hello Kitty pop-up restaurant is set to launch this month in Irvine, California, and people are rejoicing. According to the LA Times, parent company Sanrio has decided to come back after the success of the Hello Kitty van that went around Los Angeles during the Hello Kitty convention held in California last year.

A Hello Kitty popup cafe will be opening in Irvine, California soon Image by Mike Mozart / CC BY 2.0

Although the cute Japanese feline, known for its pastel hyper-feminine aesthetic, has long been popular outside of Asia, this will be the first Hello Kitty cafe in North America.

There are currently cafés in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Seoul. The cafe will be taking over a shipping container in Irvine Spectrum Center and converting it into a restaurant that will serve tea with some signature Hello Kitty nibbles decorated with the My Melody, Little Twin Stars, and Keroppi characters known to Hello Kitty fans, and complete with pastel coloured macaroons. What could be sweeter?

Whilst the restaurant will for now remain a pop-up, Sanrio is planning on opening a permanent restaurant in South California next year.