This past weekend, the much-anticipated Square Enix Cafe in Los Angeles launched its soft opening. Fans can mosey on over to try the menu offerings currently available and peruse the attached merchandise shop. The officially licensed cafe will have a full opening this coming Saturday, June 20th.
This marks the first officially licensed Square Enix Cafe with a permanent location in the United State. Beforehand, you could to fly to Japan to check out a Square Enix Cafe. Now, fans in Los Angeles, California can visit one right in the heart of Little Tokyo.
The Limit (Break) Menu
Ahead of the full opening, the cafe currently features a limited menu selection. These include drinks, entrees, and desserts inspired by Square Enix games, such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Nier: Automata.
Despite being a “limited” menu, it’s still fairly expansive. Some highlights include the Slime Pancakes, the Midgar Fondue Pizza (arranged to look like the Final Fantasy VII city), and the fittingly Nier-named YoRHa No. Type B: Milk Coffee. I’ve personally enjoyed the Slime Pancakes at another location. They not only look like the iconic Dragon Quest enemy but include an edible chocolate “battle menu.”
You can check out the soft opening menu offerings here. Note that the limited menu does not currently have vegan or vegetarian offerings for the main course. There are gluten free options for the desserts.
Each item on its own can be a little pricey. As such, there are two combo meal options for $35 and $50. In addition to meals, these also include exclusive coasters as well as exclusive placemats for those who make reservations in advance.
Bring Your Gil
Visitors can also check out the adjoining merchandise shop, no reservations required. The shop features of variety of Square Enix products, and even some exclusive to the LA location. These include LA Chocobo and LA Slime t-shirts. The shirts depict the iconic characters on the beaches of California and say “Los Angeles” below.
Reservations for both the soft-opening period and the grand opening are available now. You may make reservations here. Do take note of the RSVP policies, including the times of operation, the food and drink minimum, and the no-show fee. Currently, lunch and dinner hours are reservation only. But again, you don’t need a reservation to visit the shop if you’d like to pick up some exclusive merch.
For more details, including the hours and offerings of the Square Enix Cafe & Shop Los Angeles, check out the official website here. The cafe is located at 316 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Source: Press Release
