Nearly every table was filled at the American Girl Café in Chicago on the morning of Jan. 17, with the sound of laughter and chattering voices echoing into the restaurant's entryway. The usual crowd of kids bounced excitedly in booths and chairs, alongside their dolls, many of the toys depicting a time period well before the children holding them were born.
Known for their beloved historical dolls and Girl Of The Year line, American Girl Doll has been a staple in the toy industry for four decades. But its reach goes beyond just dolls in one’s childhood: people are returning to the company’s in-store cafés as adults to reclaim some of the whimsy they felt as kids.
That was the case at the Chicago location, where at some tables scattered throughout the café, young adults sat perched in colorful booths next to dolls they dug out of storage to accompany them, alongside a work lunch or a birthday celebration.In posts on social media platforms like TikTok, the reason behind the restaurant choice is clear: The group is gifting themselves an experience they might not have been able get in their youth and letting themselves be children again.
For Kelly Knodel, a trip to the American Girl Café in Chicago last weekend was a familiar start to her 23rd birthday celebration. Knodel had gone to the café once before at 7 with her cheer team, her doll dressed in a uniform matching her own.
