It’s been said that one of video gaming’s greatest icons emerged from a lunchtime craving.
Toru Iwatani, the game designer renowned as the creator of “Pac-Man,” has often said in interviews that he came up with the idea for the dot-munching yellow disc when he ordered a whole pizza for lunch one day, ate a slice and saw what remained.
Now, nearly 38 years after “Pac-Man” launched a video game revolution that started in Japanese arcades and expanded worldwide, he’s come full circle. (No pun intended. Sort of.) Through May 31, Bread & Butter is hosting the first “Pac-Man” pop-up cafe and store in the United States. Pizza’s on the menu, as are a number of Pac-themed entrees, desserts and drinks.
The cafe expands on the Pac-Store, an online boutique created by video game publisher/developer Bandai Namco Entertainment in late 2016 to sell “Pac-Man”-branded accessories and apparel in Japan.
Several characters, including Pac-Man’s friends Pac-Little and Pac-Marie and mischievous Team Ghost members Terry, Harry, Kerry and Rocky, were created for the store and are featured prominently in its merchandise.
A pop-up cafe opened for a day in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku district in April 2017 and was so successful that Bandai began considering taking the concept international. Hide Sakurai, owner of Bread & Butter, said talks with Bandai began in May.
“Hawaii is a state that is really familiar with Japanese culture, like gaming and manga,” Sakurai said. “So they decided to expand the business to Hawaii as their first venue in the United States.”
Sakurai said there were some obvious choices for the “Pac-Man”-themed menu — pepperoni pizza ($13.95), a fruit-laden pancake ($10.95), and a hamburger with Pac-Man etched into the bun ($15.95) — but other dishes reflect local flavors, like beef curry ($12.95) and garlic shrimp ($16.95), both with “Pac-Man”-shaped servings of yellow rice, and a ghost-shaped loco moco with a sweet teriyaki gravy ($16.95).
Desserts include a “Pac-Man” cheesecake ($13.95), a Ghost velvet cake ($9.50), and four Team Ghost frozen drinks ($5) that taste like vanilla soft-serve ice cream mixed with choice of Blue Hawaii coconut, blueberry, strawberry or matcha flavorings.
(Pro tip: Call ahead to see what’s still available. On one recent night, the beef curry and garlic shrimp already were sold out.)
Bread & Butter has been transformed into a Pac-themed paradise for the event, with neon ghosts on the windows, a photo-op-ready “Pac-Man” statue at the entrance, and giant character stickers lining the tables.
An arcade machine sits near the entrance. Customers who order off the Pac-menu get a token to play “Pac-Man” and a chance to win Pac-Store merchandise. If you don’t feel like you’re good enough at “Pac-Man” and want to play something else, the machine has 11 other games to choose from, including “Galaga,” “Dig Dug” and “Mappy.”
That machine has proved popular.
As soon as the Pac-Store opened March 1, “a lot of people wanted to play,” Sakurai said. “Even though they order one dish and got one token to play, (they were saying) ‘Oh my god, I’m not good at it,’ and ‘I wanna do it, let me pay for it.’ So now we realize, maybe we should think about bringing another machine as well.”
Fans who want to take home a memento can purchase tote bags or apparel such as T-shirts or caps — many of them with Hawaii-exclusive designs — as well as earrings and pendants designed by local artist/surfer Alyssa Wooten.
It’s a theme that plays to a nostalgic, happy place. And Sakurai has been pleased with the reception.
“‘Pac-Man’ is a little bit … people may think old-school,” he said, but the brand has remained popular for nearly four decades and has been updated by Bandai. “So I think it’s been working very well for all the generations.”
The Pac-Store Hawaii menu is available through May 31 at Bread & Butter, 1585 Kapiolani Blvd. Hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Reservations: Go to opentable.com or call 949-3430.
