Experiential licensing deals continue to accumulate, with branded cafés one of the most common examples of late. Properties announcing deals in the past six months to launch new ventures, or expand existing café chains, illustrate both the variety of properties active in this sector and the global reach of the trend:
- Characters. Moomin will inaugurate a Mumin Kaffe in Helsinki in October, with plans to debut a second in Stockholm by the end of the year. The new cafés, which are licensed to restaurateur Mehdi Younes and are tailored to children, join 20 Moomin-branded cafés for all ages globally, with many of those located in Asia. More Mumin Kaffes are planned for other countries in Europe.
- Corporate trademarks. Kellogg’s opened its first permanent café, in partnership with Milk Bar founder and celebrity chef Christina Tosi, in New York City this summer. It serves cereal with mix-in options such as nuts and fruit, as well as ice cream topped with cereal.
- Sports. The NBA is premiering NBA Café Barcelona this fall with AN Grup of Spain. The league also has a café in Manila, which opened in 2014, with Haute Couture F&B Concepts.
- Magazines. Harper’s Bazaar launched its first café earlier this year, in Dubai, where the publication has been available since 2007. Marka Holding is its partner.
These properties join others, from Hello Kitty to Major League Baseball to Lamborghini, that have established property-specific gathering places around the world, centered around coffee and food. Not only do cafés such as these offer opportunities for fans new and old to interact with the brand and each other, but they also provide an outlet for merchandise sales, albeit usually location-specific rather than licensed products at large.
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