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Today is the official opening of the first Houston location of 85C Bakery Cafe, dubbed the “Starbucks of Taiwan.” As predicted, fans lined up at the Bellaire outpost for iced sea salt coffee and a plethora of affordable baked goods.
The shop’s been in soft-opening mode for awhile, but today, 85C Bakery Cafe had something extra special in the works: a traditional lion dance performance, keynote speeches and ribbon cutting ceremony, all in honor of the opening of its 1,000th store across the globe. There’s also a “Free 1000th Store Exclusive Gift after $10 purchase,” which looks to be a very cute stuffed brioche plushie. It’s available while supplies last, as are celebratory free tote bags and mugs (see rules here). Keep scrolling to see that little brioche guy and more opening day photos.
The calm before the storm:
Here’s a glimpse at the line:
This plushie freebie is highly Instagrammable:
The baked goods:
The drinks:
1000 stores - that’s a nice round number.
