‘A unicorn event’: Hello Kitty Cafe pop-up coming to Johnson County on Saturday

The Hello Kitty Cafe Food Truck is making its way to Johnson County this weekend, giving fans a chance to purchase collectibles and treats decorated with tiny bows.

The pop-up will come to Leawood’s Town Center Plaza from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, outside the former Bravo Italian Kitchen at 5005 W. 117th St. Its last visit to the Kansas City area was a year ago in the same spot.

The food truck, painted in sprinkles and cartoons, emulates the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe in Irvine, California. There, visitors sit inside its bright pink walls and enjoy bakery-fresh pastries, tea, coffee — and even specialty kitty-cocktails.

In 2014, the cafe’s owners launched two trucks in honor of Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary. Since then, the trucks have toured the country seasonally, attracting long lines at each stop.

The trucks’ simplified menu includes cookies, minicakes, madeleines and macarons. Fans can also buy merchandise like Hello Kitty lunch boxes, sweatshirts and mugs.

Urania Chien, managing partner of the cafe, told The Star that the food trucks attract fans ages “4 to forever,” and curious onlookers are drawn into the unique experience.

“It’s kind of become a unicorn event,” Chien said. “It’s really a place for fans and the community to gather.”

The trucks have amassed over 340,000 followers on Instagram, and a group of faithful fans track their whereabouts, which are also posted on the cafe’s website.

While the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe is the only one of its kind in the United States, more can be found overseas, particularly in Asian countries, Chien says.

Chien and her business partners wanted to create a chic destination for Hello Kitty fans in the U.S.

“Ours is the only format that is more to Western tastes than in Asia,” she said. “A lot of the cafes are kind of built like dollhouses. … But we tried to elevate our cafe to make it more appealing to everyone.”

Chien hopes to bring the whimsy and wonder of Hello Kitty to fans who can’t make the trip to California.

“It’s really joyful for people to have their coffee or even their water in this happy little cup,” she said. “We really do keep that in consideration when we’re creating products and experiences for our fans.”