The creators of Hello Kitty Café are expanding the iconic Sanrio character’s restaurant footprint to the neon lights of Las Vegas.
Sanrio’s third café, featuring Hello Kitty-themed beverages and desserts, is scheduled to open July 12 in Las Vegas. The shipping container café is at The Park, an outdoor dining space between New York-New York Hotel & Casino and the newly renovated Park MGM. The other two cafés are in the California cities of Irvine and San Jose.
Sanrio has tapped franchise operators from Southern California to run the Las Vegas location: Andy Nguyen and Polo Nguyen (no relation), owners of the chain Afters Ice Cream; and Tim Dang of tea concept 7 Leaves. Both brands are based in Orange County, Calif. and have been expanding rapidly.
“It’s been incredibly exciting to see the evolution of the Hello Kitty Cafe concept year after year as we continue to share Hello Kitty’s global message of friendship and happiness,” Craig Takiguchi, chief operating officer and head of business development at Sanrio Inc., said in a statement. “The Park is a prime location for us to make our debut in Las Vegas.”
Click on our gallery for a sneak peek of the Las Vegas café.
Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @fastfoodmaven
