Coffee with the cute factor
Four new cafes are making a big splash in theme-crazy Bangkok
FROM THE world’s cutest feline Hello Kitty and the adorable Japanese seal Sirotan to the popular American cartoon characters in Charlie Brown and the UK’s adult child Mr Bean, themed cafes are now taking Bangkok by storm.
Mr Bean and his teddy bear first welcomed visitors to Mr Bean Coffeeshop in Thonglor last December and proved so popular that new branches have opened in recent months at the Walk mall on Kaset-Nawamin Road and inside Siamkit building in Siam Square.
Charlie Brown and his pet beagle Snoopy arrived in Bangkok in May with the opening of Charlie Brown Cafe at Mega Bangna while Japanese seal Sirotan started offering tempting desserts and drinks in June at the Mercury Ville on Chidlom Road. And since its opening early this month, the sweet-toned Sanrio Hello Kitty House Bangkok in Siam Square One mall has been packing in the city’s feline fans.
“Cafes are opening all over the city and today’s entrepreneurs need to find a gimmick to draw in the customers,” says Smith Tsoi of Mr Bean Coffeeshop.
“Thais love to try new dining experiences in a convivial atmosphere with an overload of cuteness and Mr Bean is adored by people all over the world. The word spreads through Facebook and Instagram, which make marketing easier and saves me from spending on advertising.”
Rabhi Chakrapeesirisuk, a co-owner of Charlie Brown Cafe agrees, adding that the themed cafe offers a welcome antidote to the hassles of everyday life.
“The Hello Kitty and Barbie cafes tend to be more for girls while Charlie Brown and his friends attract all ages and genders. Each character also has its own persona and that allows us to get creative with the menu, the interior design and the collectible items,” says Rabhi.
“Food is the priority and the cartoon characters are the value added. This is not a place that’s just designed to please Peanuts’ fans or for taking pictures to post on social media. We are concerned about the way the food tastes and we want our customers to come back for more.”
While novelty usually translates into high profits in the short term, Sirotan’s Alisa Srijamroen says good service, tasty food and a relaxing ambience are vital if customers are to return.
“Diners today are informed, selective and eager to try new things. The cute character may be a magnet to draw customers for the first visit but if the service is unfriendly and the food not above par, there’ll be no second visit,” she says.
Food critic Rapeepan Luangarmrut and her partners have invested Bt100 million in the 800-square-metre Sanrio Hello Kitty House Bangkok that’s home to a spacious dining space, function room, seven spa treatment rooms and a souvenir shop.
“Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia have Hello Kitty franchises but ours is the first to combine coffeeshop, spa and gift shop all under one roof. Sanrio recognises the potential of the Thai market,” Rapeepan says.
The three-storey, 150-seat cafe is decked out in pink and boasts Hello Kitty stained glass on the ceiling of the top floor. Life-like fibreglass sculptures of the feline stand in the corners and visitors snap pictures in between nibbling on desserts, sandwiches, salads and snacks.
The DIY Tiramisu set (Bt280) with Kitty-like butter cakes, sliced fresh strawberries and mascarpone served with strawberry jam and espresso syrup is already a favourite
and the perfect partner for a cup of pink latte.
A 1960’s lime-green Mini Cooper is parked outside Mr Bean Coffeeshop’s second outlet at the Walk mall and a cut-out of British comedian Rowan Atkinson stands guard in one corner. His Teddy bear, Scrapper the cat and part-time girlfriend Irma Gobb are also very much in evidence.
“I’ve watched Mr Bean since I was a kid and he still makes me laugh,” says Tsoi, 21, who is of Thai and Hong Kong parentage. “The word ‘Bean’ also relates to our 100-per-cent Arabica coffee beans from the North of Thailand. It took my sister and I about six months to complete the licensing agreements with Tiger Aspect Productions but the wait was worthwhile.”
Diners can feast on a fluffy GB Omelette (Bt145) with mushrooms and toast and Royal Waffle (Bt175) with vanilla ice cream and strawberry compote or sup on a cup of hot latte (Bt90) with Mr Bean’s face floating on the surface. Mr Bean’s sitcom lays on a loop and Tsoi stocks everything from T-shirts, stuffed dolls and bendable figures to photo albums, notebooks and playing cards.
“I saw the comments on Instagram and thought I’d give it a try,” says customer Khantana Panpae, 30. “And I keep coming back not because I’m a hardcore fan of Mr Bean but because I like the atmosphere and the coffee.”
The first Charlie Brown-themed cafe popped up in Hong Kong back in 2006 and was an overnight hit. Bangkok is the 33rd branch in the chain and the third largest.
“We’ve paid particular attention to replicating the cartoon characters for the decor. The Peanuts crowd has been winning the hearts of people for 64 years and there are differences in the hand-drawn lines of each period. Before we could put all the characters together, we had to send the graphics to the US licensing company for approval to be sure that each character appears in the same period,” Rabhi explains.
The signature cake set (Bt495) offering four mousse cakes in four flavours, is moulded into shapes of four cartoon characters. Charlie cake is made from dark, milk and white chocolate while Snoopy is caramel cheese. The crabby and bossy Lucy is done with strawberry and bubblegum and the little yellow bird Woodstock is a combination of vanilla and passion fruit. Also worth trying is Snoopy gelato ice cream, which offers chestnut flavoured ice cream in a Snoopy shape and is served with your choice of hot pancake for Bt215 or with chocolate lava for Bt235.
Alisa, on the other hand, has scored a franchise first with her Sirotan Cafe and holds the inaugural licence to be issued by Creative Yoko.
“I fell in love with the white seal doll during a visit to Japan when I was a kid. It’s regarded as a comfort doll for everyone and that makes its welcoming to family members of all ages,” says Alisa.
The 50sqm cafe is simply decorated and offers some 20 sweet treats prepared Japanese-style along with light sponge cakes. The recommended desserts include fragrant Rose Lychee Mousse (Bt160) dressed with raspberry macaroon, Melon Shortcake (Bt125) drizzled with orange sauce, and Me Love Cheesecake (Bt145) with strawberry sauce. Licensed Sirotan merchandise is also on sale.
“I love Sirotan and buy the merchandise every time I visit Japan. I can read Japanese too and often go to Creative Yoko’s Twitter and Facebook feeds to find out what’s new. So I’m really pleased Bangkok now has a Sirotan cafe,” says first-time customer Tawanporn Lertmahakiat, 24.
“I think customers will be delighted with the novelty though of course whether they return will depend on the food the service and the price But so far, so good.”
SWEET SENSATIONS
>>> Sanrio Hello Kitty House Bangkok is located in Siam Square One mall. It’s open daily from 10 to 10. Call (02) 115 1335 or visit HelloKittyHouseBKK on Facebook.
>>> Charlie Brown Cafe is on the second floor of Mega Bangna (opposite Ikea). It’s open daily from 10 to 10. Call (02) 105 2076 or check out Facebook.com/CharlieBrownCafeThai.
>>> Mr Bean Coffeeshop has three branches: Soi Thonglor (next to Market Place), the Walk mall on Kaset-Nawamin Road, the Siamkit Building in Siam Square. Call (02) 711 4885 or visit www.MrBeanThailand.com.
>>> Sirotan Cafe is on the third floor of Mercury Ville on Chidlom, Call (02) 658 5895 or visit SirotanCafe on Facebook.
