The Cereal Lab: A Unique Twist On Ordinary Breakfast Cereal

If a laboratory is a place for experimentation, then the chief scientist of The Cereal Lab in downtown Decatur is owner Cynthia Hernandez.

She wondered what would happen if she created an eatery where people could put cereal on just about anything: From enjoying a bowl of cereal to adding it as a topping to ice cream, mixing it into milkshakes and adding it to acai bowls.

She first saw the concept on a trip to Barcelona, Spain. She loved it so much, she went every day during her trip, and before she returned to the states, she had registered The Cereal Lab name.

And voila! The Cereal Lab was born. It’s now a thriving small business in the heart of DeKalb County with the first retail location at 335 W. Ponce De Ave.

She picked the location after sitting outside the building observing it on different days of the week at different times. “I just loved the community,” Cynthia said “People were walking their dogs, husbands and wives were walking by holding hands. There’s a jogging group that meets every Tuesday and Thursday. I was like, ‘This is probably where my company needs to be.’”

She added there’s a sense of community here as well. “And after opening up, there couldn’t be a better place for me to have my first brick and mortar, for sure.”

Cynthia adds she wanted to create a unique dining experience that not only offered craveable cereal in unique ways but also evoked feelings of nostalgia for those Saturday mornings sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal.

Cynthia calls upon this inspiration in every aspect of The Cereal Lab. The menu features creative cereal-based dishes like the “Cereal Killer” milkshake, made with a blend of Fruity Pebbles, Captain Crunch and Lucky Charms, and the “Cereal Sundae,” a dessert made with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with a customer’s favorite cereal. And don’t worry – she has everyone’s favorite cereal available. There are dozens of boxes of cereal displayed artfully in her shop – from Apple Cinnamon Cheerios to Wheaties.

In addition to the menu, the décor of The Cereal Lab reflects Cynthia’s experimental instincts. The walls are covered in bright colors and cereal boxes, and the seating area is designed to look like a laboratory, with beakers, test tubes and other scientific equipment.

The Cereal Lab’s unique dining experience is drawing in a loyal and curious following. On any given night, customers might include families with young children, college students looking for a snack or professionals looking for a post-dinner treat. The Cereal Lab store is available for birthday parties, as is her food truck which has gone to weddings, birthday parties and sporting events.

If you’re motivated by The Cereal Lab to start your own experiment in DeKalb County, take the first step today! Reach out to Katrina Young, the Business Retention and Expansion Manager of Decide DeKalb, to begin your business venture.