World’s Second Line-Themed Café Opens in Shanghai

On a sweltering August morning in Shanghai, hundreds of fans—many in heat-baking 38°C weather—lined up for hours just to step inside a new kind of coffee shop. This wasn’t your usual specialty café with single-origin pour-overs or limited-edition espresso blends. It was something else entirely: China’s first-ever (and the world’s second) café based entirely on the global messaging app Line and its cast of cartoon characters.

The answer is simple: this is the second official Line-themed café in the world, following the original in Seoul’s Garosu-gil district. It officially opened today in Shanghai, drawing massive crowds despite the app being blocked on mainland devices.

What Is the Line Café?

The café is built around the wildly popular Line messaging app characters: Cony the rabbit, Brown the bear, Moon the yellow creature, and James the blonde with glasses. Though Line never officially launched in China’s mobile or desktop app stores, its cute mascots have become cultural touchstones among young Chinese internet users, thanks to fan-shared stickers, animations, and merchandise.

Why Is It So Popular?

Even without access to the app itself, the Line characters have maintained huge popularity in China. Their images dominate sticker packs, social media avatars, and now, physical spaces. The café offers fans a rare chance to meet their favorite characters in person, surrounded by themed décor, merchandise, and—of course—food and drinks. The draw isn’t the coffee (which wasn’t detailed in reports), but the immersive experience of stepping into the Line universe.

What Happened at the Opening?

By 10 a.m., a line stretched over 100 meters outside the Shanghai café. Despite temperatures hitting 38°C, fans—mostly young women—waited patiently, some for over 30 minutes, just for a peek inside. “I’ve been waiting half an hour,” one told a reporter. “I just wanted to see it.” The café’s exterior and interior are covered in Line branding, creating a vivid, Instagram-ready environment for photos, shopping, and indulging in themed treats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the first ever Line-themed café?

No. The original Line-themed café opened in Seoul’s Garosu-gil neighborhood, South Korea. The Shanghai location is the second official café based on the Line characters globally.

Is the Line app available in China?

No. Line has never been officially available on mobile or desktop platforms in mainland China. However, its characters remain widely known and beloved among Chinese youth, mainly through shared stickers and online content.

What can you do at the Line café in Shanghai?

The café offers a themed experience featuring Line’s most famous characters like Cony, Brown, Moon, and James. Visitors can explore Line-themed décor, buy merchandise, take photos, and enjoy food and drinks—all in a space dedicated to the cartoon world. Coffee specifics were not mentioned in the report.

Why are people lining up in extreme heat?

Fans are highly motivated by the rarity of an official Line experience in China. Even without being able to use the app, the characters have strong cultural resonance, and the café provides the first chance for many to interact with them in person in a dedicated space.

Will there be more Line cafés in China?

The article does not mention plans for additional locations. For now, the Shanghai café is the first and only official one in mainland China, and the second in the world after Korea.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Themed Café Vibes

Pair your visit to the Line-themed café with a bag of FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera, known for its juicy mango and blueberry notes, or Yirgacheffe for bright citrus and floral tones. Both single origins highlight the kind of vibrant, playful profiles that match the café’s lively aesthetic. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.