The cereal café attacked by anti-gentrification protesters is to open across the Middle East — after a chance Snapchat from a sheikh.
Cereal Killer, which was set up two years ago, will make its debut in Jordan, Kuwait and Dubai this month before opening in Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.
Gary Keery, who founded the venture with his twin Alan, said: “We had a rush of customers from the Middle East and I found out a sheikh had Snapchatted a picture of his visit. Now 20 per cent of our customers are from there.”
Last year, Cereal Killer’s Brick Lane site was vandalised by Class War activists who claimed it represented a community being torn apart by hipsters.
Cereal enthusiast Keery reflected: “They had a point to prove but they went about it in the wrong way. We are not from the gentrified 1 per cent, our mother did admin and our father was an electrician. We work hard and, even though we’re expanding, still own 100 per cent of the business.”
He added: “There are a lot of plus points to gentrification – 10 years ago you would not go out at night in east London, unfortunately people do get priced out, though they often sell their house for a nice profit. Some people just want to moan and find someone to blame – but you’re in charge of your own situation.”
Keery said he has tracked down a vegan, pork gelatine-free version of Lucky Charms, which contain marshmallows, for the Middle East openings.
Its Shoreditch, Camden and Birmingham cafés sell 120 cereals – with large bowls costing £4.50 – from all over the world, its range includes Batman and Simpsons-branded boxes and ‘Special Kate’, inspired by the Duchess of Cambridge and taglined “closer to royalty with every bite”.
Its cafes, decked out with Nineties memorabilia and arcade games, have single beds with Power Rangers duvets on which diners can eat.
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The Cereal Killer brand will be licensed to local operators and, despite so far failing to find a US chain to handle expansion there, Keery is on the hunt for more international openings.
The duo will celebrate its second anniversary by giving away scratchcards and hot chocolate tomorrow, with one competition winner bagging a year’s supply of free cereal.
Keery, who sells 500 bowls a day, said: “Some people have called me a beardy hipster – but I’m just too lazy to shave.”
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