Hello Kitty arrives in Chicago

Kristen Kelly was the first in line to see the world's largest Hello Kitty Cafe in Chicago.

"I arrived at 230a. I was trying to get here by 330a but I couldn't sleep so I decided to get here early. It was just me and a homeless person," she laughed.

She waited nearly 8 hours outside the new 8000 square foot space on Michigan and Wacker Drive.

"I'm obsessed with Hello Kitty. I have Hello Kitty everything at home since I was little. I live nearby so I just walked over. I'm really excited to taste the treats and see the Chicago-based merch." she said.

A sea of pink as the line wound around Wacker and down Michigan Avenue. Hello Kitty herself came out to welcome her fans as the doors finally opened at 10a.

"We got here right before 330am," said Natalie Flores, who brought her 6 year old daughter from Round Lake.

"I started driving at 2a. I'm pretty sure my inner child is yelling right now with excitement. I have plushies, clothes, beenies, clothes. Now my daughter has my stuff now. She got her first Hello Kitty item when she was 3 and she's been building up her collection every since."

Christina Santana of Carpentersville says her first introduction to the Hello Kitty world was when she was given stationary at 9 years old.

"Pens, notes, post-its. Now that I'm a grown up, I can purchase anything and everything," she laughed.

Now, she says she and her friend Iris Trung are going to add to their life long collection.

"This place is amazing. I love it. I've been a fan since the 1970's. I have quite the collection: plushies, ceramics, you name it," smiled Trung. "I run the Hello Kitty Instagram." said Trung.

The two-level space has both indoor and patio seating. They serve bow waffles, cookies, cakes and hot and iced drinks. There is also a 90 minute tea experience in the Bow Room.

"I'm going to order cheesecake, the Hello Kitty bow waffles, some drinks all the good stuff. I'm a Hello Kitty groupie, definitely," said Santana.

In 1974, Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji wanted to create a new character to expand his line of small, giftable accessories. Artist Yuko Shimizu designed a white bobtail cat with a red bow on her left ear. She officially debuted in 1975 on a vinyl coin purse, which became a massive hit.

Hello Kitty famously has no mouth. Sanrio designers intentionally left it off so that people can project their own emotions onto her. Whether you are happy or sad, Hello Kitty's neutral expression allows her to share and reflect your feelings

Today, Hello Kitty is a multibillion-dollar global lifestyle brand, found on everything from children's stationery to high-end designer collaborations and airplanes.

The very pink cafe at 360 N. Michigan is the world’s largest Hello Kitty Cafe and the first location in the Midwest.

There are similar cafes in Las Vegas, California and in Vancouver. For reservations and more information click here.