A new coffee shop with cat cuddles is open on Grand Avenue

Zen is the practice of noticing life in the moment: the crackle of a blue-flame fire, the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, and the slow-quick question mark curve of a curious cat tail. These are the zen moments that entrepreneur Vanessa Beardsley has brought to St. Paul’s Grand Avenue with her new coffee shop, Catzen.

“The initial idea was a cozy place to gather, like the living room I grew up in with cats around and really good coffee,” Beardsley said. The result is a culmination of years of daydreaming, and an instantly popular place that neighbors are flocking to on the regular.

Catzen opens most mornings with the usual coffee-shop menu of pastries, tea and coffee drinks. What sets it apart is the room next door, where visitors can hang in a lounge space with any number of the shop’s resident felines — that is, if the cats choose to hang with the people.

The shop is a new chapter for Beardsley, who had been an attorney before she stepped away from practicing for an even more demanding career: parenting. As her son became more independent, she and her husband had been ruminating on small business ideas.

The couple were wistful for the coffee shops of St. Paul’s past: Coffee News near Macalester College, and the old Amore near what’s now Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

Walking past an empty storefront one evening a little more than a year ago, the question shifted from “What will that be” to “Why can’t we?”

Their plans weren’t so much about jumping onto the worldwide trend of cat cafes, but more to offer a place to linger and catch up with friends in a space that happens to house several cats that live on-site.

Next, she did what anyone who was once dedicated to the law would do and called the city and the health department to see if her inkling of an idea was even possible. She got the green light.

“I cast my net a little further and found this building that was empty, and it’s so beautiful,” said Beardsley. The building at 1416 Grand Av. had been vacant for some time, and already had the bones for a naturally separated, two-space room.

Working with local companies Studio M Architects Inc. and Diversified Construction, the dream became reality.

But to be a great coffee shop, they needed to do their research. Business partner and general manager Frances Brown came with a background in coffee. “We worked with Impossible Coffee and I spent a year learning. We wanted to uplift local companies," Beardsley said. It was only a coincidence that their favorite espresso for the coffee program was Dogwood Coffee Co.

Morning food vacillates between pastries from La Boulangerie Marguerite and Viking & Goddesses. After 4 p.m. there are charcuterie boards and mocktails available.

There are also plans for programs for the shop: a lab for classes, the possibility of acoustic music on the back patio that is adorned with large murals from local artist Ara Elizabeth. Plus, there are Thursday night “X Files” viewing parties in the cat den and Saturday morning cartoons with the cats. (That’s the only kid-friendly time allowed with the cats.)

The cats really are the stars. A delightful way to spend an hour is perusing the bios Beardsley wrote for each of them. Tim the Enchanter has a sharp sartorial sense, Big Ol’ Cup of Joe is a Maine coon with what appears to be a lazy eye and a latte named in his honor, Boudica is a Scottish fold who prefers quiet mornings with a cup of golden chai and keeps her ears folded.

Unlike other cat cafes, the feline residents are just that, and not up for adoption. “What I wanted was a cast of characters [the regulars would] get to know — and the cats will know the regulars,” said Beardsley. When the cats need a break, there is a passageway for them to retreat, and an entire downstairs room is a cat-only zone.

After the overwhelming enthusiasm of the first few days, Catzen cut back on hours to care for both the staff and the cats. Reservations are available on Saturdays and Sundays — they’re working on a better system — but Beardsley hopes that the initial excitement will mellow into a cozy, zenlike groove.

Location: 1416 Grand Av., St. Paul, 952-207-2494, catzencoffee.com

Hours: Wed.-Sat. 7 a.m.-9 p.m., 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Closed Mon.-Tue.

Accessing the den: Visitors must be 15 or older. Cats can be observed from the coffee shop, but cat interactions aren’t guaranteed or required for a visit. Only 20 people are allowed in the den at a time. The shop is dabbling with weekend reservation times, but it’s best to check Instagram for updates.

Kid time: Kids under 15 are only allowed in the cat den with an adult on Saturday mornings during cartoon hour. There are large windows, though, to observe the residents inside the den.

Beverages: For coffee, Dogwood pourover and espresso drinks. Milk comes from Autumnwood, but alternatives are available. There’s also Rishi Tea and hot chocolate. One of the few nonlocal products, the chocolate comes from the fair-trade company Holy Kakow in Portland, Ore., and customers apparently have been raving about them.

Food: Breakfast pastries alternate between La Boulangerie Marguerite and Vikings & Goddesses. In the evening, there are charcuterie boards with cheeses and optional meats.

Local art: There’s a vintage machine that dispenses local art in addition to small gifts from makers and, of course, cool merch that celebrates cool cats and toe beans.

Access: Ample, free on-street parking. On the bus line.

Other cat cafes: The cats at the Cafe Meow coffee shops, in Roseville and New Hope, are all up for adoption — and they take appointments (thecafemeow.com). And Duluth has Wired Whisker, where you also can make appointments to spend time with adoptable cats (wiredwhisker.com).