'Barbie can do anything' - New Yorkers flock to pop-up Malibu Barbie Cafe
Arnesha Porter took her daughter Arielle Jones, 6, to the opening of the pop-up Malibu Barbie Cafe in New York City's historic South Street Seaport on Wednesday (May 17) to celebrate a special occasion.
"So today is my birthday, so we came for my birthday, and my daughter loves Barbie, so we decided to bring her here," said Porter.
The 70s-inspired venue offers Master Chef semi-finalist Becky Brown's all-day brunch menu items such as the Beach Burger, Pacific Paradise Rainbow Pancakes, and Golden Coast CALI-flower Bowl, as well as a life-size Barbie toy box, where customers pose for photos.
"We really wanted to bring the world of Barbie to life through all of your five senses: touch, smell, taste, everything through the lens of Barbie, really celebrating summer and creating an environment that was, both, family-friendly, but fun for adults, too," said Michael Corrigan, a spokesperson for Bucket Listers, a digital media platform and event producer behind the Malibu Barbi Cafe with cooperation with toymaker Mattel.
Corrigan also said the response to the Malibu Barbie Cafe "has been overwhelmingly positive."
The Cafe will be open seven days a week through September 15th and can seat over 8,000 customers every week.
"I think Barbie represents to me a multi-generational woman who, as years have gone by, has really found her empowerment in being a woman and making little girls realize they can really be anything that they want to be," said Mara Larit from Holbrook in Long Island, who came to the cafe with her daughter-in-law, granddaughter and her daughter-in-law's mother.
