Michaela Fitzpatrick poses with Izzy, a cat she rescued whereas in school. She and her husband, Adam, are getting ready to open a cat cafe in Oklahoma City. (Courtesy picture)
OKLAHOMA CITY – After months of delays and willpower, one couple’s dream of working a cat cafe is about to come true simply west of Midtown.
Final inspections and hiring are underway at Don’t Stress Meowt Cat Cafe, 1900 Linwood Blvd., Suite 300. The homeowners anticipate to open in mid-March.
Michaela and Adam Fitzpatrick encountered their first cat cafe in Miami Beach whereas on trip in Florida in 2021. The proprietor informed them Oklahoma was “a cat cafe desert.” That prompted jokes about opening one, which rapidly changed into precise plans.
“We were moving pretty fast there at the beginning until the building permits slowed us down like eight months,” Adam stated. “But now we’re back full steam ahead.”
The issues had nothing to do with the state Department of Health approving a enterprise that mixed cats and meals preparation in a single place. “That was a breeze. It was just standard building issues like firewalls and restroom quantity,” he stated.
Being a mechanical engineer helped. Adams may interpret the constructing codes and knew how to design a air flow system that will guarantee indoor air high quality – which is essential when a few dozen litter packing containers are in use.
The objective is to be “the best smelling, allergy-free cat cafe in the United States.”
The couple have visited a number of institutions from Savannah, Georgia, to Los Angeles to be taught what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to cat cafes. Adam stated folks within the area of interest enterprise neighborhood have been useful sharing their insights and experiences.
Don’t Stress Meowt Cat Cafe will encompass a espresso store and a cat lounge separated by an enormous glass wall. Patrons having fun with meals and drinks can be ready to watch the kitties enjoyable and taking part in on “a cat jungle gym” of their cozy habitat.
Or they’ll make an appointment to work together with the cats – all obtainable for adoption – within the lounge for a price, which is able to assist pay for his or her meals, litter and different provides.
Work is almost full on Don’t Stress Meowt Cat Cafe, 1900 Linwood Blvd., Suite 300. Owners Michaela and Adam Fitzpatrick anticipate to open the enterprise in mid-March. (Courtesy picture)
Michaela will transfer her non-public counseling observe to the constructing, the place she’s going to see purchasers and handle the brand new enterprise.
“I anticipate being very busy. I’ve got my schedule structured to balance my two roles,” she stated.
“One of the most important factors for me in starting this is I wanted a way to help encourage adoption,” she stated.
The enterprise will act as a big foster residence for cats from Safe Haven Animal Rescue, a metro nonprofit. Michaela stated Safe Haven will be certain that animals introduced into the cat lounge meet well being and behavioral requirements and can deal with the adoption course of when a cat and a buyer hit it off. Plans are to have 15 to 25 adoptable cats obtainable at any time.
Cat cafes began in Asia within the late Nineties. In 2014, the primary one opened within the U.S. – Cat Town in Oakland, California. Today, they’re coast to coast from Purrington’s Cat Lounge in Portland, Oregon, to The Witty Whisker in St. Augustine, Florida.
Oklahoma will quickly be a part of the development thanks to “a couple of small-town kids” from Rush Springs and Marshall who’re excited to be part of the event taking place in Oklahoma City.
“We’re using the business as an avenue to instill the values that are important to us in our community,” Adam stated.
They plan to host occasions in help of neighborhood causes they care about and to choose a nonprofit group every month to obtain $1 from each lounge customer price.
submit credit score to Source link