By Nomaan MerchantThe Daily Northwestern
Jessie Bond’s jaw dropped in shock early Monday morning as he walked through the doors of Cereality, Evanston’s newest breakfast restaurant.
This was a moment Jessie and his sister Louise, 3, had anticipated for a long time, said his mother, Cie Bond.
“We’ve been waiting for it to open,” she said. “Last night we were talking about it at dinner, and we decided to come in early this morning.”
One of the most anticipated tenants of downtown development Sherman Plaza, Cereality opened its fourth location nationwide Monday.
The restaurant sells more than 30 different types of cereals, ranging from Fruity Pebbles to Quisp, a cereal popular in the 1970s.
Customers can choose from more than 40 different toppings to add to their mix of cereals or hot oatmeal, including marshmallows from Lucky Charms, Pop Rocks candy and malted milk balls.
For about $4, a “cerealogist” clad in pajamas will mix your choice of two scoops of cereal mixed with two toppings into a Chinese food takeout container designed to prevent leaks.
“It’s not just a juvenile environment,” Roth said. He added that the company’s target audience ranges from “as young as 8” to “as old as 80.”
The store will work with local businesses and schools for catering and fundraising, Roth said. It also might host live performances.
Financial adviser Stephen Reiches, Weinberg ’83, brought his daughter Isabel, 9, to Cereality after she visited the store’s open house last weekend with her mother.
“What I like about this place is that my dad never lets me eat junk food at home, and here I can get whatever I want,” Isabel said.
Isabel ate Reese’s Puffs with Lucky Charms marshmallows, but her father opted for plain oatmeal.
“I think for a quick breakfast … we’d go to Dunkin Donuts, but after a while you get so many donuts that you get all ‘donutted’ out, so this is a great alternative,” Stephen said. “I can come in for a healthy meal, and my daughter can get what she wants.”
The store’s atmosphere attracted many employees, such as cerealogist Jessica Jibowu. She said the offer of wearing pajamas to work was too good to pass up.
“I came in this morning, and I was watching ‘Teen Titans,’ which is my favorite,” Jibowu said. “Everyone walks into work every day and it’s like home.”
As 6-year-old Jessie dug into his takeout box filled with Trix cereal mixed with Lucky Charms marshmallows, his father, David Bond, asked him what he liked most about Cereality.
His mouth full of cereal, Jessie looked around briefly before pointing to his dad.
Roth said he hopes the store can make regular customers of local families, students and residents.
“We’re very much looking forward to this store,” he said. “This is just pregnant with possibilities.”
Reach Nomaan Merchant at [email protected].
