New York retailer Kith caught everyone off guard yesterday with the unveiling of Kith Treats, a restaurant section of its redesigned Brooklyn store themed around sugary cereals. Within the world of streetwear, it was known the store was closed for renovations and that the new format would include the usual assortment of clothes and shoes, plus something called Kith Treats, but based on current foodie trends, the gimme bet would be a healthful menu, maybe raw desserts or something similarly good for you.
Wrong! Owner Ronnie Fieg went in the opposite direction, choosing instead a sugary-cereal theme inspired by a childhood in which processed cereals were banned in his house, forcing him to consume them on the sly while visiting friends, a practice that turned into a daily habit of Frosted Flakes and chocolate milk, purchased with money he made from selling off his own homemade lunch.
Naturally the restaurant is doing more than just selling bowls of cereal and milk, the design-obsessed Fieg in partnership with Snarkitectur turned the animated cereal boxes into part of the space’s design and coupled the store’s business of selling kicks with disposable bowls shaped like sneaker boxes.
Part of Kith’s power has been its brand collaborations and Kith Treats reflects that practice with Nike providing an assist on box designs, which will change periodically. The launch box features an image of Andre Agassi, reflective of a U.S. Open-themed capsule being carried by the store. As for the eats, there are 24 cereal brands, an assortment of sweet toppings and five types of milks, including non-dairy options, plus ice cream for those wishing to push the envelope of sugar highs.
It’s a very new sort of nostalgia that’s cropped up of late, reflecting a yearning for life pre-connectivity when the most complicated thing you looked at first thing in the morning wasn’t a smart phone but the back of a cereal box. There’s also something very fun and light about the idea, a return to food as a less serious concept if you will, and, too, it funnily speaks to the ways parents’ well-intended boundaries can be reimagined when their children become adults. The choice also just makes sense for Kith’s target demographic, which is young enough that its not yet stressing over every calorie and food intake choice.
Kith Treats is located at 233 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn near the Barclay’s Center, and will open to the public on August 25th. The cereal bar opens at 7:00 AM, ahead of the store, which can be seen through a separating glass wall.
See the menus and cereal box below plus some images via Versus, who attended last night’s press opening.
