World's largest Hello Kitty Café opening in Chicago

State of play: The two-level, 8,000-square-foot space — slated to be the largest Hello Kitty Café in the world — will offer indoor and outdoor patio seating, Chicago-exclusive desserts and beverages, merchandise, and, of course, plenty of photo opportunities.

Flashback: A Japanese illustrator created the Hello Kitty character in 1974 while working at the company Sanrio, according to the BBC.

• The character helped generate $5 billion in 2023, Sanrio's Jill Cook told the "Today" show in 2024.

The intrigue: She's not actually a cat, but a girl.

• "She was one of the first pop culture brands to introduce Japanese culture to an American audience and really opened up that new design aesthetic," Cook said.

What to expect: The café's online menu includes coffee and colorful specialty drinks topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, alongside cakes, cookies, pies and doughnuts.

• Be ready for many Hello Kitty Instagram posts to flood your feed soon.