At first glance, a Hello Kitty cafe doesn’t make much sense. After all, the beloved creation of Yuko Shimizu doesn’t even have a way to eat or drink anything. But fans weren’t put off by the Ellisonian horror of having no mouth and yet needing to sip. In fact, quite the opposite. The first ever U.S. Hello Kitty-themed cafe caused hours-long lines and a general freakout among denizens of the internet and meatspace alike.
We have to admit, the pop-up cafe in Irvine, California, seems pretty cute. (And that’s not a word we throw around lightly.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH8KBcmAmFe/
Fans waited for hours in the sun to snap photos in the all-pink-everything hotspot with their favorite not-cat on its grand opening weekend.
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The demand was so high that the cafe was forced to close before they could serve everyone.
Even though the food posted by this customer looks delicious, they complained about a five-hour wait and a sunburn they received while standing in line, closing the complaint with the hashtag #NeverAgain. (C’mon, though, you were there on opening weekend.)
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Others were quick to mock the obsessives who willingly waited in line.
https://twitter.com/aiLovechu/status/754880184835121153
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But most of the fans were either fine with the long lines or excited to go regardless of the wait.
Visited the Hello Kitty Pop Up Cafe today~ that 3 hour wait was horrendous but I loved it ♡ pic.twitter.com/OeEaoEohIC
— vannie (@MoostacheVannie) July 18, 2016
https://twitter.com/LyssyNoel/status/754127137129455616
It’s worth mentioning that this cafe will be in place for an entire year. So, having a bit of patience might lead to a better visit.