Highly anticipated Hello Kitty Cafe delays its opening in Vancouver again

Since July 2023, Dished has been keeping close tabs on the mysterious Hello Kitty Cafe that appears to be in progress in downtown Vancouver.

The concept, which has not established a website or official social media presence yet, let alone been claimed by an official operator, was initially planned for a July 29 opening, but that date was pushed to September.

Then, it was pushed to October. Then, it was once again pushed to November. Then, it was pushed to January.

Now it seems we’ll have to wait even longer to find out anything concrete about the cafe, as an update on Google Maps states it will now open in March 2024.

Google Maps/Screenshot

The spot, which is taking over a former Sharetea location on Robson, has just a hint of signage in place at its 1274 Robson Street address. The last time we walked past, some of the paper had been ripped to reveal the Hello Kitty Cafe logo.

Licensed Hello Kitty Cafes exist throughout the US, in places like Irvine, California, and Las Vegas, and are operated by Sanrio, the licensed distributor of the Hello Kitty brand. These cafes and museums can also be found in Korea and China.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

Dished has reached out to Sanrio to confirm whether or not Vancouver’s edition is affiliated with these same cafe concepts but has yet to receive a response. If it is, then we can expect some seriously kawaii goodies in the future.

These cafes serve treats like Hello Kitty-branded macarons, iced cookies, cakes, and handmade drinks.

For now, we’re keeping close tabs on Vancouver’s version and will keep you updated on any new developments.

Hello Kitty Cafe

Address: 1274 Robson Street, Vancouver