Looks like the San Francisco Bay area is experiencing something of a cat cafe boom. Last week KitTea revealed plans for a San Francisco teahouse/cat playhouse and now the East Bay Express reports another cat cafe is heading to Oakland. Like many other new restaurant ventures, Cat Town Cafe has turned to crowdfunding with an Indiegogo campaign seeking $60,000 to get their cat cafe up and running.
In contrast to KitTea, Cat Town Cafe will be a non-profit whose main goal is to facilitate humans taking cats to go in the form of adoptions. Founders Ann Dunn (president of the Cat Town rescue organization) and Adam Myatt have secured additional funding from the Pet Food Express chain, who have agreed to pay the rent and cover food costs. While no menu has been set yet, Cat Town Cafe will likely be divided into two sections: a cat-free cafe section with espresso drinks and the like and a cat-friendly section with hand-washing stations, to meet California health codes.
San Francisco isn't the only city experiencing a burst of interest in cat cafes and other pet-oriented dining options. Eater Montreal reports that the upcoming cat cafe Café Chat l'Heureux is raising opening funds and getting "a ton of media coverage." Germany's very first deli for cats and dogs opened recently in Berlin, while one canine cafe in Sydney has taken doggy dining to the next level with things like goats milk cappuccinos and steaks. Cat Town Cafe is currently looking for a space and has not announced a target opening date.
· Cat Cafe to Open in Oakland [EBE via Eater SF]
· San Francisco's First Cat Cafe Is In the Works [-EN-]
· All Cats Coverage on Eater [-E-]