Andrew's last point is really, really important.
Of the 4-5 cat cafes that that I knew of in our area in the last 10 years, all of them have since gone out of business. I'm sure there are others that have been successful, but coffee shop restauranting is a tough business to begin with. The model that it sounded like the majority of these locations had was to charge for time with the cats. It's an extra money maker but seems like it reduces your client base, and since they weren't successful, that might be something to avoid. All of that is anecdotal though, so definitely doing research on successful business models would be a good idea.
Partnering with a shelter/rescue sounds like a great idea, I'd say make sure they're supplying you with food/litter for the cats as you'll already have plenty of costs of running the business.
In general it seems like some of the difficulties would be:
You need to be a successful tenant, paying for the cost of your building or lease
You need to be a successful coffee shop owner, managing your inventory, staffing, coffee & food options, pricing, etc.
If you want to add alcohol, that's a whole new dynamic with alcohol licensing which may or may not be available, liability insurance, potentially needing licensed servers depending on your local rules.
You'll also need to manage getting the word out about your business, and direct competition with other coffee sources. It also looks like there's at least 3-4 other cat cafe in the Denver area (although none in the north east part). You may also want to try stopping in there and see what their setup is like.
You also need to be able to take care of the cats and balance the health department requirements.
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Jeff Okazaki
Humane Society of Jefferson County
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-30-2023 04:46 PM
From: Kaitlin Spring
Subject: Thoughts on Cat Cafes?
Hello Everyone,
I am in the very early stages of opening a non-profit Cat Cafe and wanted get people's opinions. My vision is a cat cafe that would house permanent resident cats (I'm thinking maybe a mom + litter) that would otherwise be harder to adopt, such as FIV+, cerebral hypoplasia, etc. but then also have a completely separate section for adoptable cats that I would team up from a local overcapacity shelter. Having multiple rooms would allow people to visit cats but not have one space too over crowded and we could also designate a quiet room for people and cats who get a little overstimulated.
The cafe portion would include a separate/isolated space for food and beverage prep and would include beer and wine in addition to coffee and tea.
A little about me- I have worked at a cat shelter for many years then officially became a certified vet tech primarily helping with anesthesia and surgeries. I feel there is a great opportunity to provide a different environment for some kitties who don't thrive in a shelter setting and an open, cage-free, setting might help them get adopted easier because they can really be themselves and interact with people and other cats in a different way.
This is a non-profit so money is definitely not the goal. Very simply put, I want a space where cats and people can be happy interacting with each other and get some kitties adopted!
My questions for you-
1) What are your initial thoughts?
2) Have your shelters or organizations ever partnered with a cat cafe and if, so, how did it go?
3) Cat health and safety is my number one concern so are there any tips, worries, potential issues that you see with this plan?
4) I am in the very early stages and do not currently have a location and am looking now so those of you with physical buildings- what are some of the best features for cat rooms that you have seen or that your organization has?
Thank you for your help!
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#FundraisingandDevelopment
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*
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Kaitlin Spring
Founder & Executive DIrector
The Clumsy Calico Cat Cafe
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