The latest heavyweight at Universal CityWalk weighs in at just three apples: It’s Hello Kitty (and her gaggle of Sanrio friends). Los Angeles’s first Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe opens on Friday, September 6, at the outdoor shopping district outside of Universal Studios Hollywood. Operating next door to the cafe is an all-new Sanrio Smile Shop chock-full of merchandise featuring the likes of Cinnamoroll, Keroppi, and Kuromi.
While the theme park has sold Sanrio branded items on its Upper Lot at the Animation Studio Store for years, it did not have a standalone restaurant or store dedicated to the wildly popular Japanese characters until now. Both storefronts feature pink-and-white-striped awnings, but the peek-a-boo pink bow — equivalent to Gotham City’s Bat Signal — is only hung outside the cafe’s entrance.
The cafe menu is entirely grab-and-go and features a sugary avalanche of Sanrio-themed desserts and drinks designed for maximum social media appeal. The signature treat features a red chocolate dome-shaped cake with cinnamon mousse, apple pie filling, and cinnamon streusel; a representative tells Eater that seasonal mousse domes inspired by Hello Kitty’s friends and “crafted uniquely based on their personalities” will be available periodically. The birthday cake includes sprinkle-dotted confetti cake, white chocolate mousse, and a whipped white chocolate ganache, while other cakes on the menu use fresh fruit jams to fuse their layers.
Some of the cafe’s more portable food options are the macarons, which come in flavors like raspberry, caramel, vanilla, pistachio, and chocolate; berry-stuffed churros with cream cheese frosting; and a Hello Kitty-shaped sugar cookie decorated with royal icing and rainbow sprinkles.
The half-dozen drinks available at the walk-up venue are inspired by various characters as well. The Keroppi frozen matcha latte is as green as its amphibious muse, while the Tuxedo Sam blue raspberry lemonade with a lemon slice garnish takes its blue and yellow profile from its namesake penguin. Customers can linger at the umbrella-covered tables located outside the cafe or take everything to-go.
Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe currently operates outposts in Orange County at the Irvine Spectrum, in Las Vegas at Fashion Show and Park MGM, and in Vancouver. In 2017, the Shops at Santa Anita hosted a yearlong residency for the Hello Kitty Mini Cafe.
Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe is located at 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608. Admission to Universal Studios Hollywood is not required for entry.