As it’s the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty this year, many brands are releasing Hello Kitty products. Some cities are even hosting special events — lucky for us, Melbourne is one of them!
Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre has been holding a series of Hello Kitty attractions activities: in addition to the 9-metre-tall Hello Kitty artistic piece by graffiti artist Sofles, there is also a pop-up Hello Kitty Cafe!
(Hello Kitty in Chadstone Ground Floor, near Dior and Louis Vuitton)
As a dedicated Hello Kitty fan, I visited the cafe the first chance I got. The queue was too long on the first day, so I had no choice but to visit on a weekday afternoon. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed. Even though I tried my best to see everything through my‘fan filter,’ I still struggled.
(You can just follow the signs in Chaddy, it’s easy to find if you take the Ground Floor’s elevators near Cos or H&M)
(After you take the elevators, you can continue to follow the Hello Kitty signs on the floors)
(the opening hours of Hello Kitty Cafe: 10 AM to 9 PM during 20 September – 27 October)
(the entrance of pop-up Hello Kitty Cafe in Chadstone)
Chaos At the Hello Kitty Cafe
The entire cafe looked so ‘pop-up’ and plastic from the first glance! The poorly prepared setup and decorations made it look more like a food court counter than a relaxed cafe. The cafe could be divided into the indoor area and the entrance which can be seen as the outdoor area. TIP: customers with prams or strollers can only sit at the entrance area since there is no space inside to park them.
(the entrance of Hello Kitty Cafe)
I don’t recommend you choose the ‘outdoor area’, which means you just sit at the entrance, which can be awkward because people in the queue might be around you. It felt like they had squeezed in as many seats as possible to reduce the waiting time, I roughly counted over 60 people in the inside area! If you’re hoping to take some nice photos, you might need professional Photoshop skills because other guests at nearby tables will inevitably be in your photos — the tables were just too close to each other.
(Hello Kitty Cafe inside area: tables are really close to each other)
Endless Waiting in Line
The cafe has no option for online ordering, and only one staff member taking orders — the order process was quite annoying.
(The queue waiting for tables outside the cafe)
After half an hour of waiting in a long line to get in and finally getting a seat, I found that I had to go back to the entrance to join another line to order food! This also means that if you want to order more food throughout your visit, you have to get up and wait AGAIN.
(The line to order inside the cafe)
I honestly can’t understand why there isn’t an option for online ordering with a QR code, which is not even advanced technology! I noticed that most of the customers were discussing their orders with their friends or family while waiting, making sure they knew exactly what to get so they could place their order as quickly as possible when their turn came.
Cute But Terrible Food
The prices at the Hello Kitty Cafe Chadstone are reasonable, the average cost per person here is around $25. I ordered the iconic strawberry cake, coffee, and cute Hello Kitty cookie, which cost $28 in total. But the taste was truly disappointing, especially the cookie! I thought the top was a piece of white chocolate, but it wasn’t! The cookie was incredibly greasy — my friend and I were quite hungry, and we still couldn’t finish it.
(Strawberry Cake with disposable forks in Hello Kitty Cafe-Chadstone)
(You can see the cooking process of cute Hello Kitty cookies and strawberry Hello Kitty chocolates)
(Too exhausted to take pictures after waiting in lines several times, and the horrible food just made me feel that it wasn’t worth it)
(I’m pretending the food is not so bad, but crying inside)
(Menu at Hello Kitty Cafe Chadstone-Melbourne)
Common Issues at the Hello Kitty Cafe
Visitors at Hello Kitty-themed cafes commonly report these issues: high prices, long wait times, small or crowded spaces, slow service, and a focus on decor that seems more important than the quality of the food.
The reviews for international pop-ups haven’t been good either; a recent pop-up Hello Kitty restaurant in Macau had many bad reviews online. Although, I have a friend who went to both Macau and Chadstone, and said Chadstone was worse. Because at least the decor in Macau is not all plastic. Additionally, I even found posts on Chinese social media about the Hello Kitty Cafe in Chaddy urgently hiring more staff due to being short-handed.
(POP-UP Hello Kitty Cafe in Macau with larger space)
(The food in the pop-up Hello Kitty Cafe-Macau)
When it comes to comparing details, the Cafe in Chaddy might be even more disappointing than what people experienced at international pop-ups. For example, if we compare the decorations, the restaurant in Japan used Hello Kitty lights, but Melbourne’s setup had unbranded paper lanterns that looked like they could have been from any restaurant.
(Hello Kitty Cafe with Sanrio lights in Tokyo, picture by Lau George on Google Reviews)
(adorable overall but plastic details in Hello Kitty Cafe Chadstone: the lights are just some normal lanterns)
In terms of the food, the Hello Kitty Cafe Chadstone will make you want to leave a 1-star review on Google. The dessert options were limited, and if you were hoping for some intricate latte art or a unique coffee experience, I can tell you that they didn’t offer either. My cappuccino was served in a normal cup (with a plain, uninspired logo), looking no different from any other regular coffee.
(Food in Sanrio Cafe Tokyo, picture by Impressed ymsj on Google Reviews)
More Hello Kitty Things in Chadstone
If you’re feeling disappointed by this pop-up cafe but have already made your way to Chadstone, try some of the other activities to lift your spirits a little bit.
Hello Kitty in Chadstone Hotel
(Hello Kitty High Tea in Chadstone Hotel, picture from Chadstone)
If you don’t want to take a long time to wait in the Cafe line but still want to try the cute food and take some pictures, you can opt for a more luxury option at the Chadstone Hotel, where they offer a high-quality Hello Kitty Package and Hello Kitty Afternoon Tea.
Hello Kitty Chadstone Shuttle Bus
(Hello Kitty Shuttle Bus in Chadstone, picture from Chadstone’s Instagram)
I can’t imagine how wonderful it would be to take this cute Hello Kitty Bus around Melbourne, and more importantly: it’s FREE, you can book online here.
Hello Kitty on Jbhifi
(Hello Kitty toys at Jbhifi Chadstone)
(Hello kitty 50th-anniversary toy in Jbhifi)
Hello Kitty Main Street at Chadstone
There are more interesting and worthwhile activities than the Hello Kitty Cafe at Chadstone, which include music and art activities such as drawing on a tote bag. But unfortunately, all tickets are sold out now.
(Hello Kitty Main Street in Chadstone-sold out now)
Hello Kitty Claw Machine in Chadstone
If you spend $150 or more in one day at any participating Chadstone retailer while signing up as a Chadstone First Member, you can try this claw machine on the ground floor. Win prizes ranging from Hello Kitty merchandise to Chadstone vouchers, Hotel Chadstone stays, valet parking vouchers, and more.
(Hello Kitty Claw Machine on Chadstone Ground Floor)
Hello Kitty x Piccolina Sundae
If you want to get involved but don’t want to go to the cafe, here is a brilliant idea: you can grab the Hello Kitty sundae from Piccolina and take pictures at the entrance of Hello Kitty Cafe! This Piccolina Sundae recipe is inspired by Hello Kitty’s mom, which including apple cream gelato, apple compote, raspberry marshmallow and more. Piccolina is just near the pop-up Hello Kitty Cafe and serves more delicious drinks and ice cream.
(Hello Kitty Sundae, Picture from Piccolina Chadstone)
Hello Kitty at Godiva Chadstone
This Hello Kitty creamy drink is available exclusively at Godiva Chadstone from Friday 20 September to Sunday 27 October. The Hello Kitty Chocolixir is made with strawberry and Godiva white chocolate, topped with a cute Hello Kitty waffle.
(Hello Kitty Chocolixir, Picture from Godiva Australia Instagram)
( Hello Kitty in Godiva Chadstone, Picture from Godiva Australia Instagram)
I was so excited to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary at Chadstone, but the overall experience at the pop-up café was a big letdown. The lack of organisation led to chaos in the café environment and endless queues. Additionally, their minimal attention to decor and food details made it difficult for visitors (even fans like me) to fully enjoy the experience 🙁
However, you can still check out more interesting Hello Kitty activities at Chadstone! For example, you can take the free Hello Kitty Shuttle Bus from Melbourne Federation Square to Chadstone, try the Hello Kitty claw machine, and visit stores offering Hello Kitty Chadstone Exclusives such as the Piccolina Hello Kitty Sundae and Godiva Hello Kitty Chocolixir. All these activities will operate until 27 October 2024, except for the Hello Kitty Main Street (which ended on 6 October).
These bring back some of the joy that the cafe lacks 🙂
