Key Takeaways
- Hello Kitty-themed cafe and shop to open at Universal CityWalk, featuring character-inspired food and merchandise.
- New venues celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary, offering exclusive items and photo opportunities with characters.
- Expansion adds to existing Hello Kitty offerings at Universal Studios Hollywood, enhancing the Sanrio experience.
Universal CityWalk Hollywood is set to introduce two new Hello Kitty-themed establishments on September 6, 2024. The Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe and the Sanrio Smile Shop will offer visitors themed food, beverages, and merchandise featuring the popular Sanrio characters.
The new venues will be located at the centre of Universal CityWalk, adjacent to each other. The Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe, distinguished by a large Hello Kitty bow and pastel pink and white awnings, will provide a grab-and-go menu with outdoor seating options. This marks the first Hello Kitty-themed cafe in Los Angeles.
The cafe’s menu includes a variety of desserts and beverages inspired by Sanrio characters. Dessert offerings comprise the Hello Kitty Mousse Dome, seasonal character-inspired mousse domes, strawberry cake, berry and cream churro, birthday cake, macaron sets, and Hello Kitty cookies. Beverages feature character-themed drinks such as Hello Kitty Strawberry Green Iced Tea, My Melody Lemonade, and Chococat Frozen Mocha.
The Sanrio Smile Shop will offer a wide range of Hello Kitty and Sanrio character merchandise. Products include backpacks, Spirit Jersey apparel, hats, specialty cups and mugs, pins, t-shirts, plush toys, keychains, jewelry, phone cases, and lanyards. The shop will also feature exclusive Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe-themed items, with new products to be introduced throughout the year.
Inside the Sanrio Smile Shop, visitors can take photos with Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters at a dedicated photo opportunity area.
The new venues complement the existing Animation Studio Store within Universal Studios Hollywood, which already offers Hello Kitty merchandise, including park-exclusive items.
In celebration of Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary, the character will appear in the theme park wearing a new pastel pink dress. Visitors can take photos with Hello Kitty in this commemorative outfit at a designated area near the Animation Studio Store.
Universal CityWalk’s expansion of Hello Kitty-themed offerings coincides with the character’s ongoing popularity and global recognition as a pop culture icon.
