The UK's first cereal cafe, which started offering bowlfuls of nostalgia in December, already has expansion plans. Owners Gary and Alan Keerytells Marketing Week that a second branch is set to open in Camden in the next few months — and now, the business is also garnering franchise interest from countries around the world.
The New York Magazine's food blog, Grub Street, picked up on the news that Cereal Killer is expanding. And New York could be a good fit for the company.Both cities have "hipster" areas of course, which seems a natural way to describe the cereal concept. It could be huge — there's even talk of a cook book sometime in 2015.
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Business Insider paid the Cereal Killer Cafe's Shoreditch space a visit before it launchedin London. Inside are 120 colourful boxes of breakfast — from classics like Cornflakes and Coco Pops, to American favourites such as Lucky Charms. They can be covered in 12 different types of milk, and topped with Malteasers, Oreos, or other things made of sugar and chocolate.
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While we were there, munching on some Vanilla Chex with white chocolate buttons and almond milk, Gary explained he and his twin brother weren't just building a cafe, but an "entire brand". Gary said the whole idea is to create a "breakfast experience".
He and Alan have created an interior with vintage cereal paraphernalia and walls adorned with retro milk bottles and pictures of Tony the Tiger. The menu lists American and British products, a few options from further afield,as well as "cereal cocktails" and Poptarts.
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The project sparked widespread media attention when it first opened its doors; some called its prices, £3.50 for a large bowl, £2.50 for a small, as a little steep. Others called it "patronising". But the twins say that despite some murmurings of ill feeling from a few pockets of society, business is good and the future looks as colourful as a bowl of Cheerios.
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Marketing Week writes that the company claims it has already sold around 20,000 bowls of cereal and has had "amazing customer feedback". With such positivity, Camden, which has a similar social demographic to Shoreditch, is a natural place to launch a second cafe. After, New York's hip Williamsburg neighbourhood, or Brooklyn, would also provide substantial footing for a stateside third.
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“Cereal is eaten all over the world. The best selling cereal the café has comes from Korea," Adrian Sington, of representatives Kruger Crowne Rights tells MW.
“The reason why it’s so iconic is it’s often tied with the first time children are independent in the kitchen. It’s a ritual that happens very early on – you pour your own cereal and milk and eat it. This is in the heart of people all over the world," Sington adds.
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The brand is also in the process of developing relationships with other companies; the aim is to forge partnerships and see clothing and merchandise made a reality. Alan adds he hopes to see viral marketing and social media play a part in the future too.
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