-
![After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)]()
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)
-
![After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)]()
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)
-
![After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)]()
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)
-
![18 oz stainless thermal bottle (front)]()
-
![After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)]()
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)
-
-
![bow shaped bottled water (back)]()
-
![After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)]()
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)
-
![After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)]()
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)
-
![After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)]()
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and baked goods since mid-2016, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container is closing cafe Sunday at the Irvine Spectrum Center. (Courtesy Hello Kitty Cafe)
-
![The Irvine Company announced Jan. 11 that it plans to add 30 new stores and restaurants as part of a $200-million reinvestment in the Irvine Spectrum Center. Hello Kitty Cafe (shown) will get a permanent spot in the new addition, show behind the temporary cafe. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)]()
The Irvine Company announced Jan. 11 that it plans to add 30 new stores and restaurants as part of a $200-million reinvestment in the Irvine Spectrum Center. Hello Kitty Cafe (shown) will get a permanent spot in the new addition, show behind the temporary cafe. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Expand
After serving 300,000 visitors Hello Kitty-themed coffee and treats, a temporary Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container at the Irvine Spectrum Center is closing Sunday.
The steel container cafe, which opened in July 2016, announced plans to serve its last cup of Joe to customers on Saturday. It will remain open until 10 p.m. According to its operators, the pop-up cafe was never meant to be permanent.
“We knew going in it would be completely temporary,” said co-operator Urania Chien.
Chien, and her husband, Charlie, along with partner Allan Tea, also operate two Hello Kitty Cafe food trucks and two mini-cafes in Southern California.
Chien declined to comment about the cafe’s permanent relocation at the Spectrum. On Thursday, the Irvine Co. said a permanent Hello Kitty Cafe with a bar would open later this year as part of a $200 million expansion of the center.
Sanrio has a policy of keeping product news hush-hush. Chien would not comment about the Irvine Co.’s announcement, including shocking details that the cafe would be serving Sanrio fans cocktails.
“At this time we can’t say anything, but there’s definitely things on the horizon for the Hello Kitty Cafe,” she said.
Fans need not fret over the Orange County loss.
The Chiens and Tea, whose offices are based in Irvine, also operate mini Hello Kitty Cafes in the Santa Anita Mall and Victoria Gardens in Ontario. The cafes offer nearly all the same beverages and baked goods sold at the Irvine pop-up, Chien said.
The coffee is by Kean Coffee, a boutique brand with cafes in Tustin and Newport Beach. When they opened, the company sourced its coffee from Portola Coffee Roasters. But they had to switch because the local brand couldn’t keep up with demand, Chien said.
The mini cafes do not sell merchandise, which could often be found on the Irvine cafe.
The Hello Kitty Cafe food trucks, however, offer a different menu and can be found parked at various locations on both coasts most of the year. The East Coast truck, however, is not operating due to the inclement weather back East, Chien said.
This Saturday, Jan. 20, the West Coast truck will be in Culver City and in Oxnard. Chien said fans can find the truck’s schedule by following its Instagram page: @hellokittycafetruck
The Chiens and Tea began operating Hello Kitty cafes in various forms (trucks, pop-ups and mini-cafes) in 2014. Tea, whose family runs a string of Capital Seafood restaurants in Orange County, recently opened a dumpling restaurant, Paper Lantern, at Diamond Jamboree.
The Chiens used to work in the software manufacturing business until launching the Hello Kitty Cafe operations.
They have since sold the company, and are all-in with Hello Kitty. Chien is a self-admitted super fan, who has been passionate for all things Hello Kitty for years.
“I’m one of the people who have waited in line to buy collectible merchandise,” she said.