Hello Kitty Grand Cafe

In Japan, Hello Kitty is a true cultural phenomenon – the character and her friends are ubiquitous across the country, the main attractions a Sanrio theme park, and even the subject of an exhibition (“As I change, so does she”) at the Tokyo National Museum. Inspired by the characters, Orange County-based entrepreneurs opened the first U.S. cafe devoted to Hello Kitty, known either as the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe or Hello Kitty Cafe, at the Irvine Spectrum Center in 2018. Officially licensed by Sanrio, the Cafe offers a collection of sweet drinks and “supercute” snacks from a counter, as well as a reservation-based Bow Room focused on afternoon tea service Wednesdays through Sundays, and craft cocktails on Wednesday through Friday evenings. The cocktails are Hello Kitty-themed and sold a la carte, with admission limited to people aged 21 or older.