The Hello Kitty Cafe Las Vegas opened earlier this month at the Park, an outdoor dining and entertainment destination between New York-New York and the Park MGM.
The festive cafe featuring colorful graphics is drawing visitors of all ages for photos. It serves Hello Kitty-themed beverages, including coffee, espresso drinks, lemonades, iced teas and milk teas. Among the sweets are Hello Kitty cakes, cookies, croissants, donuts and ice cream. Mugs, T-shirts, baseball caps, keychains and tote bags are for sale.
Japanese company Sanrio introduced the cartoon character, also known as Kitty White, a perpetual third-grader with a red bow and no mouth who lives outside London, in 1974. Hello Kitty has become a worldwide phenomenon, appearing on clothing, accessories, toys, comics, music and other media.
"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," said Craig Takiguchi, COO and head of business development at Sanrio. "Hello Kitty Cafe brings fans of all ages together and provides a special venue for them to connect with the Hello Kitty brand. The Park is a prime location for us to make our debut in Las Vegas and we welcome guests to visit from around the world."
More than 500 fans braved the 108-degree heat to line up for the grand opening of Nevada's first Hello Kitty Cafe on July 12. Some arrived as early as 10 p.m. the night before to wait more than 12 hours for the grand opening. Hello Kitty herself made a special appearance to mark the occasion, making her way around the long line of eager fans for hugs and photos.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.