The Cortez family piled out of their car and stretched their legs. After a 90-minute drive from their home in Long Beach, California, they had made it to the One Piece Cafe in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighbourhood.
“I was just sitting in the car like, ‘I’m going to be at the One Piece Cafe,’” said Cammy Cortez, who was introduced to the popular manga and anime franchise by her older brother and now runs a One Piece fan account on X. “It’s going to be a good day.”
Timed to open during last month’s Los Angeles Anime Convention, the largest event dedicated to Japanese pop culture in North America, the new permanent restaurant is the second official One Piece Cafe from Andy Nguyen – an entrepreneur behind several themed restaurants – in collaboration with Toei Animation, the studio behind the anime. The first One Piece Cafe opened in Las Vegas in May 2024.
One Piece follows the adventures of protagonist Monkey D Luffy, who dreams of becoming the Pirate King, and his band of Straw Hat Pirates as they seek the “One Piece” treasure.
Fans of the anime have been flocking to the Little Tokyo cafe eager to try Japanese dishes inspired by One Piece characters, like Sanji’s “Diable Jambe” chicken katsu sando, with 24-hour brined chicken served on sweet honey milk bread, and Zoro’s Onigiri, in honour of the character’s love of rice.