Kellogg's NYC, a high-end cereal bar, is hoping to add a unique touch to the classic breakfast staple.
Located off the northern edge of Times Square on Broadway and 48th Street, Kellogg’s NYC is accessible to both tourists and locals who would like to enjoy a bowl of cereal with ingredients such as green tea powder, thyme, strawberries, and even ice cream.
"The delight that I see here, it goes back to when I had Froot Loops as a kid and watched Saturday morning cartoons,” said Sandra Di Capua, who oversaw the cereal bar with restaurateur Anthony Rudolf, as reported by NPR.
The dishes were designed by Christina Tosi, owner and lead chef of Momofuku Milk Bar.
"[At Milk Bar] I think of cereal as an ingredient," Tosi explained, according to Mashable. "Here, it's the canvas and the star."
After ordering their cereal bowls at the counter, customers are given a buzzer, which corresponds to a numbered cabinet in which the meals will be placed.
"You don't often eat cereal out of the home," said Rudolf, who also owns the Journee center for restaurant professionals who co-designed Kellogg's NYC. "We wanted to capture that comfort and home feel."
Once buzzed, the cereal bowls and a prize will await patrons inside their assigned cabinet. Although the prizes tend to be small toys, customers may also receive tickets to concerts or Broadway productions.
However, many locals believe the cereal dishes are not worth the price tag.
"Seven dollars and 50 cents for a bowl of cereal with funny ingredients?" asked Justin Adams, who lives in Brooklyn, as reported by New York Daily News. "I’d buy a bowl — if they put a $10 bill in it."
"It’s not for us anyway, it’s for the tourists," said Art Alvaradi of Astoria, Queens. "They don’t know any better."
"Exotic ingredients?” said John Bethea, also from Astoria. “For $7, you can get seven slices of pizza.”
The restaurant’s founders believe critics don’t quite understand the experience of going to an establishment such as Kellogg’s NYC.
"We hope to elevate the experience from just cereal with milk," said Rudolf. "Just because I can open a beer at home, doesn’t mean I’m not going to the pub."
"We're constantly looking for experiences,” said Di Capua. "It's because we're looking for something beyond just nourishment — we're looking for an experience. That's what we're doing here."