California mall gets nation’s first-ever Hello Kitty Café

Hello Kitty Cafe is pretty darn cute — and popular.



Located at the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, California, the pop-up café opened on July 15, and draw such crowds that it had to temporarily close for a few hours. It’s housed within a pink shipping container that has been refurbished to feature a counter and dining patio area, complete with bistro tables and pink-and-white striped awnings. Bold character graphics adorn the exterior and interior container panels.



Hello Kitty Café will remain open for a year. The menu includes Hello Kitty themed pastries, along with hand shaken teas and custom made beverages served in Hello Kitty cups with bright pink straws. Most of the items reference the pop icon, who has been going strong now for 42 years.



Although this is the first formal café space in the United States dedicated to the brand, Sanrio, owner of the brand, has been testing the waters with its Hello Kitty Café Truck, which has been making stops around the country for the past year or so. The truck will continue its trek across the United States this fall.



"Since its debut last year, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck has delighted fans in every city it has visited," said Jill Koch, senior VP of brand management and marketing at Sanrio. "The Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is an evolution of our cafe experience, offering a new selection of treats in a modern, open concept space."



According to a report on ocregister.com, Sanrio and the Irvine Co. are in negotiations to bring the first U.S.-based brick-and-mortar Hello Kitty Cafe to Irvine.



“There has been tremendous anticipation for the first ever Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container to open," said Easther Liu, chief marketing officer for Irvine Company Retail Properties. “We're proud that the Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container experience will be available exclusively here at Irvine Spectrum Center for Hello Kitty fans all over to enjoy."