The Harry eatery located in Tokyo, Japan offers guests a unique cafe experience that allows eaters to cozy up to prickly hedgehogs while they dine. The eatery houses 30 hedgehogs in one room allowing consumers to pick them up and play with them. The cafe takes its name from the Japanese wood for needle, as a way to reference the texture of the prickly rodents.
Harry's offers an interactive atmosphere for guests that is similar to a pet shop as guests are allowed to play and touch the animals. The cafe charges an admission fee of $9 on weekdays and an increased $12 on weekends giving consumers the opportunity to cozy up to animals that greatly diverge in size, texture and feel from dogs, cats or bunnies. The cafe hopes to eliminate the stigma that hedgehogs are hard to cozy because of their texture.
Interactive Rodent Cafes
The Harry Cafe Experience in Tokyo Allows Guests to Play with Hedgehogs
Trend Themes
1. Interactive Animal Cafes - Adopting other small animals such as guinea pigs or hamsters and allowing customers to interact with them can be a disruptive innovation in the animal cafe trend.
2. Themed Interactive Cafes - Opening cafes with interactive themes such as gaming or outdoor activities can be the next innovation in the interactive cafes trend.
3. Interactive Cafe 2.0 - Using advanced technology such as virtual reality or artificial intelligence can revolutionize the interactive cafe industry.
Industry Implications
1. Animal Cafes - Expanding the concept to other animals can disrupt and grow the existing animal cafe industry.
2. Tourism and Hospitality - Investing in unique and interactive experiences like the Harry Cafe can attract tourists and disrupt the traditional hospitality industry.
3. Pet Industry - Partnering with animal cafes and providing pet care and maintenance like grooming or boarding can be a disruptive innovation in the pet industry.