Hello Kitty has arrived Down Under, with the very first permanent Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe opening in Melbourne Central shopping centre. This follows on from the Chadstone pop-up cafe that was launched to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary last year. 

Aussie fans of the iconic Japanese character can now immerse themselves in a world of cuteness, with the themed cafe designed to dial the adorable factor up to eleven. Dripping in pastels, the cafe was brought to life by a team of Australian designers, including Eddie Zammit, who was responsible for an enormous Hello Kitty installation in Chadstone Shopping Centre last year.

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What is Hello Kitty?

Hello Kitty is a cartoon character that was created by Japanese designer Yuko Shimizu in 1974. Despite being created by a Japanese person and owned by a Japanese company (Sanrio), Hello Kitty, AKA Kitty White, is apparently British, and lives in London. She was originally created as a design on a vinyl coin purse, but over the decades, her universal appeal has seen the Hello Kitty brand expand to encompass everything from toys and stationery to clothing, bags, shoes, games, jewellery and endless brand collabs. There’s even a special Hello Kitty train in Japan, which this writer once took a ride on, just for the hell of it. There are also Hello Kitty cafes in Japan, the US and Canada, as well as a Hello Kitty cafe truck. And she also has a whole bunch of ‘friends’ – other Sanrio characters, such as Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, My Melody and Cheery Chums. 

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What is the Hello Kitty cafe?

The Hello Kitty Cafe is a themed cafe inspired by Hello Kitty and ‘kawaii’ (cute) culture. The cafes are decorated with Hello Kitty-themed designs, including pink bows (pink everywhere, really), and food can be served on things like Hello Kitty-shaped cake towers. There’s also always plenty of merch on sale. 

Inside the new Melbourne cafe, there will be four themed spaces – Cinnamoroll World, the Friends Garden, Hello Kitty corner and a gift shop, which will be selling Australian-exclusive merchandise. 

Why a cat with no mouth would want to open a cafe is another question entirely. 

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What do they serve at a Hello Kitty cafe?

Some Hello Kitty cafes only serve drinks and sweets, but the new Melbourne Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe will serve a full menu, which will feature everything from pink bow tie pasta and themed bento boxes to strawberry sandos and rainbow poke bowls. An extensive drinks list will offer signature drinks such as the Hello Kitty Apple Strawberry and the Cinnamoroll Icy Blue and Mango, as well as mocktails, iced coffees and teas, milkshakes and juices. For dessert, treat yourself to the Hello Kitty cake, or a Hello Kitty pastry or cookie. 

The Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe opens today, May 9. You can find it on Level 1 at Melbourne Central, Cnr LaTrobe and Swanston Streets, Melbourne.

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