Minnesota's first 'cat cafe' signs a lease in Uptown Minneapolis

The purrrfect dream for a couple of cat lovers is inching closer to reality.

The owners of a Minneapolis cat cafe concept announced that they have signed a lease for a space in Uptown.

If opened, the Cafe Meow would be the first cat cafe in the state. The concept is based around the idea that customers want to drink coffee and chill with friendly felines.

Cafe Meow's lease is set for the 2317 Hennepin Av. building, which also houses a Red's Savoy Pizza and Pizza Hut, reports the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

Co-owners Danielle Rasmussen and Jessica Burge have been trying to get this enterprise off the ground since 2014, with locations in Dinkytown and Lyn-Lake falling through.

In order for a cat cafe to work in the city of Minneapolis, health codes require a clear separation between the cafe and what could be called the "cat room" or the "cat lounge." The city would have no concerns as long as there's that physical divide, City Health Supervisor Ryan Krick told the Business Journal.

So what's up with the cats? Most of the cats in the cafe will be from the cafe's shelter partners. The goal being to promote adoption. So, sorry, you can't bring your own cat to this cat cafe. Cafe Meow has an extensive FAQ to answer more of these questions here.

The cafe hit a big road bump several months ago when a large investor backed out. But they made up for the loss with smaller investors who pledged around $95,000 to the project, according to the Business Journal.

"We never expected that enough people would step up and offer such a resounding level of support," Rasmussen said in a new Facebook post detailing the cafe lease. The cafe also completed a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015, which totaled $15,000.

The owners say they will now submit their food plans to the city for review and approval, and hearing back could take a few months.

Cat cafes are a thing in Japan, and similar concepts have made headlines in New York.

On its website, Cafe Meow says it will serve assorted pastries, plus coffee from St. Paul-based Bootstrap Coffee Roasters and tea from Minneapolis-based Northern Lights Tea Co.