Summer For The Gamer: Celebrate Square Enix's Pop-up Cafe Advent With Cloud and Tifa

Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Bravely Default, Valkyrie Profile – those are a few of the names that have dominated the world of Japanese Role Play Games (JRPGs) over the years, and incidentally, they all belong to the same company, Square Enix. These franchises are stalwarts of the industry and have embedded themselves into the memories of untold gamers. The mere mention of a character's name is enough to plunge people back into sleepy summer afternoons filled with endless gameplay.

Square Enix doubtlessly revolutionized what a video game is capable of being, and besides their pursuit of cinematographic visuals and iconic character design, the developers are also famous for the passion they consistently put into, of all things, the culinary elements of the game. As such, for a truly immersive and fantastical experience, three eponymous cafes have opened in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shanghai. Unfortunately, however, traveling four hours for themed drinks and desserts is not practical for most Beijing gamers. 

There is good news, however! After years of waiting, Square Enix Cafe finally debuted in China's capital, albeit in the form of a limited-time pop-up store. The cafe is located in SKP square and takes up part of the outdoor space in front of its south entrance, where Hoolicar is located. According to the owner of this cafe, the pop-up is authorized by Square Enix and will continue to be the location of future collaborative events. The reason this spot was chosen is that by night, the exterior design of SKP reminded the cafe's owner of the Shin Ra Electric Power Company, a major energy consortium, and the archenemy of the Final Fantasy VII universe.

The first-themed restaurant – which opened on Jun 6 – is based on the newly released Final Fantasy VII remake. With no specific termination date planned for the pop-up store, a spokesperson for Square Enix told the Beijinger that the theme will rotate every three months, and the next two themes have already been slated to follow once the current event concludes. 

Unlike other Square Enix cafes, this pop-up isn't equipped to serve cooked dishes, though the Square Enix spokesperson says they are hoping to resolve this problem. The current menu features drinks that recreate the vibe of each main character, two of which contain alcohol. For example, in the Cloud drink, the mixologist used pineapple juice to bring out the character's iconic blonde hair, then added grass jelly in the bottom to mimic his black battle suit, and topped the whole thing off with an edible Buster Sword. What's more, an orange peel hangs off the glass, reminiscent of Cloud's famed cowlick. Besides the drinks, there are multiple flavors of ice cream to accompany the steamy Beijing summer, each of which is adorned with a collectible cone wrap. And if you come at the right time, Cloud and Tifa may even be your barista.

No Square Enix Cafe would be complete without a veritable museum inside, and the SKP location is no different. From retro game cartridges to mascot plushies and limited-edition large scale figures, it's a tiny treasure vault for fans of Final Fantasy. Some of the items, like the plushies, are available for sale, but others are part of the owner’s extensive private collection. Unfortunately, due to the location's limited space and the nature of pop-up stores, Square Enix Cafe can't provide the same immersive experience, themed interior design, and spacious exhibition space that the permanent venues enjoy. But hopefully, with a little time and a little creativity, the team behind Beijing's concept can figure out a way to better utilize the outdoor area and incorporate the ambiance of the featured game in themes to come.

To reserve a seat for you and your friends in the cafe, you can either call 131-2101-3620 or follow Hoolicar’s Wechat account then click 报名入口 ‘The entrance of the reservation” in their menu bar and choose 立即报名 ‘Reserve now’ in the sub-menu. You will be required to provide your name and phone number to complete the reservation (each phone number can only be used once). The maximum capacity is 200 people per day, and reservations are available from 10am to 6pm. Each hour, the cafe will allow 10 customers to enter the event area, and if the capacity has reached its limit by then, they will contact you via the phone number you provided.

Read: Sit Back and Unwind This Summer With Maison Flo's Jazz on the Terrace

Images: Square Enix, Hoolicar, Zeus Zou, Sina, Dazhongdianping, VGtime