Now here’s a cat cafe even a cat hater could get behind.

Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty, is set to open its Hello Kitty Grand Cafe on Sept. 14 at the Irvine Spectrum Center. The shop contains two concepts: a fast-casual cafe and a separate private room for reservation-only afternoon tea and nightly cocktails.

On the fast-casual side, guests can order the usual cafe drinks as well as sweets including made-to-order mini hot doughnuts (flavors include cinnamon sugar, matcha and cookies ‘n’ cream) and a pick-your-own four-piece set of Sanrio character mini cakes. There will also be merchandise for sale, including a gold bow handle mug.

Things get a bit fancier over in the Bow Room, a hidden reservation-only pink area with sleek Hello Kitty-branded fixtures; it will serve afternoon tea by day and offer cocktail service by night.


The tea service will cost $55 per person and will be available Wednesday through Sunday. It will include seasonal fruit, tea sandwiches, a buttermilk scone, mini cupcakes, Hello Kitty mini cake, macaron and chocolate cake in addition to honey, strawberry jam, whipped butter and Hello Kitty-shaped sugars.

The Bow Room will become a cocktail bar for guests 21 and older from 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

In addition to coffee and sweets, the cafe will serve cocktails and wine. (Jakob N. Layman / Sanrio)

Cocktail service will include an assortment of adult libations with a Hello Kitty twist (such as the Matcha Matcha, a drink with Japanese whiskey, yogurt, matcha and yuzu). The Bow Room will also offer a wine list including Hello Kitty Sparkling Rosé, Hello Kitty Pinot Grigio and Hello Kitty Prosecco.


Sanrio has character-themed cafes around the world, and three other Hello Kitty Cafe concepts in the U.S.: a Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container (San Diego), Hello Kitty Mini Cafes (Rancho Cucamonga and San Jose) and two Hello Kitty Cafe Trucks that travel across the country.

860 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, www.sanrio.com/pages/hellokittycafe-grand.

andrea.chang@latimes.com

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