(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Twin Cities' first cat cafe might be coming to Minneapolis
A local trio hopes to open the Twin Cities' first cat cafe, echoing a craze that began in Japan and has spread to the United States.
October 20, 2015 at 3:30PM
Above: A cat cafe in Kyoto, Japan (via Planettrekker Flickr page)
Feline fun and cups of caffeine are the driving force behind the Twin Cities' first cat cafe, which could launch in Minneapolis next year.
A local trio is in the planning stages of opening The Cafe Meow, echoing a cat cafe craze that began in Japan and has spread to the United States. The business has no firm location and likely won't launch for another year, but the co-founders hope to launch a Kickstarter next month to get it funded and potentially open in late 2016.
Cat cafes are popping up across the country. A map maintained by the North American Cat Cafe Embassy shows nearly 20 that have opened or are in the planning stages.
"A big target market of ours are University students because we do know how stressful university can be," said co-founder Danielle Rasmussen. "And the fact that people live on campus and can't have cats of their own."
They will begin searching for a location in December, Rasmussen said, but hope to be close to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The cafe would be broken into two primary rooms: A coffee shop and a separate room where patrons can hang out with the cats after paying an entrance fee.
That separation between the cats and the food service area is required under city regulations, according to Health Department supervisor Ryan Krick. "We don't have really any big concerns as long as we're comfortable with the separation and what their operating procedures are," Krick said.
Some, though not all, of the cats at the cafe would be adoptable, she said. Patrons cannot bring their own cats.
"We kind of want to bring more exposure to these shelter cats," Rasmussen said. "And in so doing just bring more exposure to the shelters in general, themselves, which will hopefully result in more cats finding good homes all around."
Rasmussen said The Cafe Meow will be distinct from some other U.S. cat cafes by emphasizing quality, specialty coffee drinks -- rather than focusing primarily on the cats.
They plan to launch a Kickstarter in mid-November, with hopes to raise either $15,000 or $10,000, Rasmussen said.
Critics’ picks for entertainment in the week ahead.
