SEGA opened the collaboration café “SONIC & FRIENDS CAFE” today, January 9, 2026, based on SONIC & FRIENDS, which features adorably deformed versions of Sonic and his friends. The venues are and GALLERY Yurakucho in Yurakucho, Tokyo, and and GALLERY Nagoya No. 2 in Nagoya, Aichi. The event runs from January 9 to February 1.
Based on a concept centered on the cuteness of SONIC & FRIENDS, Sonic and his friends, acting as café staff, welcome fans to the collaboration café. Original collaboration menu items are being offered, jointly developed by SEGA and and GALLERY, which has worked on collaboration cafés with a wide variety of franchises.
Yesterday, January 8, a media preview was held at and GALLERY Yurakucho. Sonic series Creative Director Kazuyuki Hoshino was also in attendance, where he explained the details of the collaboration and the background behind the project.
The collaboration café “SONIC & FRIENDS CAFE” has been announced!
In recent years, demand for “cute Sonic” has been growing in the development of Sonic series character merchandise. SONIC & FRIENDS presents a worldview and visuals that emphasize cuteness and approachability, offering a slightly different flavor from Sonic’s traditional cool and stylish image.
In 2023, short animated videos were released on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, and in Japan a wide range of related merchandise has also been released.
[SONIC & FRIENDS] Episode 1: “Let’s Play on the Southern Island!”
This collaboration café is set in the southern island where Sonic and his friends live, with the premise that they’ve opened a café and invited guests. Newly created illustrations show them dressed as chefs, pâtissiers, and waiters, and these are featured throughout the interior décor, menu items, and original merchandise.
In addition to Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and Eggman, characters such as Silver, Blaze, Rouge, Jet, and the Chao also make appearances, adding lively color and energy to the collaboration café.
The collaboration menu lineup includes items inspired by the characters who appear, as well as dishes based on episodes from the short animated series. Some items can also be ordered with souvenirs included, making them a must-see for fans.
Collaboration cafés featuring Sonic and his friends have been held both in Japan and overseas before, but this marks the first attempt under the SONIC & FRIENDS brand. According to Hoshino, since the brand is only in its third year and still in a developmental stage, there were some concerns. However, believing in the potential of the content, the project was brought to fruition by enriching the plans, such as adding new characters, devising menu items that fans would enjoy, and holding talk events.
Use of the café is generally by advance reservation, with six time slots per day. If there are open seats or cancellations, entry without a reservation may also be possible. An English version of the reservation site is available as well, accommodating visitors from overseas.
2026 marks the 35th anniversary of the Sonic series. Along with adorable Sonic characters and delicious collaboration menu items, let’s kick off this commemorative year in a big and exciting way.
Source: 4Gamer
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