With the approach of Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary this upcoming Friday, November 1, Universal Studios Hollywood and Sanrio recently invited Inside Universal to Universal CityWalk to kick off the celebration at the new Hello Kitty and Friends Café, where a handful of unique 50th-themed offerings are being added to the café menu as well as to the Sanrio Smile Shop located next door. The 50th anniversary celebration with all of its limited-time offerings begins on the official Hello Kitty Day – November 1 – and will continue through December 31.
Hello Kitty first welcomed us to her celebration with Kuromi by making her debut in a brand-new soft pastel pink dress specially designed to commemorate her 50th anniversary within Universal Studios Hollywood, as guests will soon be able to meet her in her new celebratory outfit at the Animation Studio Store inside the theme park.
At the Hello Kitty and Friends Café in Universal CityWalk, multiple new items will make their debut on the menu this upcoming Friday, all artfully designed and prepared by Universal Studios Hollywood Executive Chef Julia Thrash to celebrate Hello Kitty’s iconic bright and playful spirit and complement the other delightfully sweet treats on the year-round menu.
The new offerings designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary include the 50th Anniversary Cake – described as a confetti cake layered with white chocolate mousse topped with whipped white ganache, the 50th Cookie Sandwich – a strawberry sugar cookie with raspberry buttercream inside, and the Sparkling 50th Drink – a strawberry soda with coconut cream foam and strawberry powder sprinkled on top to form a celebratory Hello Kitty 50th logo.
All three of the new offerings are richly sweet – so guests with a sugar tooth will surely be satisfied – but our particular favorite was the Sparkling 50th Drink, which was shockingly refreshing despite its sweetness and surprisingly complemented the other 50th anniversary treats we tried very well.
In addition to the new 50th anniversary menu items, two new hot drinks will also be making their debut on November 1 to help guests keep warm as cooler weather approaches. The Mocha Bow Bomb Latte is a hot mocha latte served with a chocolate bow bomb for guests to melt inside the drink, while the Hot Chocolate Bow Bomb is a hot chocolate drink served with a similar white chocolate bow bomb.
Located next to the Hello Kitty and Friends Café, the vibrant new Sanrio Smile Shop offers an assortment of Sanrio and Hello Kitty merchandise, as well as some unique Hello Kitty and Friends Café-specific items such as the bright pink aprons worn by employees, hats, signs, and magnets.
In honor of Hello Kitty’s upcoming celebration, the shop now also features a limited-time-only Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary line of merchandise available until the end of the year, while supplies last. The celebratory line includes a variety of Hello Kitty t-shirts, plush, notepads, stationary kits, a new matching Loungefly backpack and wallet, and more; most of which sports a soft pastel and iridescent color scheme fitting for the milestone Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary.
We want to thank both Universal Studios Hollywood and Sanrio again for inviting us for this exclusive preview of the new offerings celebrating Hello Kitty’s 50th Anniversary this year.
The Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary celebration officially begins November 1 and runs through December 31, so be sure to drop by the Hello Kitty and Friends Café and Sanrio Smile Shop at Universal CityWalk to enjoy these new limited-time offerings.
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