Cat Cafe Coming to Lower East Side Small Business

Since the late ‘90s cat cafés have been popping up all over the world, most popularly in Japan, Taiwan, and France. It was only a matter of time before the fur-ocious trend came to New York City.

For those who are not akin to cat culture, a cat café is a business that pairs the relaxing coffee shop environment with all the benefits of visiting a pet store. Patrons are given the chance to sip on a perfectly frothed latte and curl up next to a feline friend.

The demand for this type of business in New York has only been met with pop-up stores until now. Meow Parlour will be the first permanent cat café in the city, and one of the first few stores of its kind in the United States.

The cat café trend initially began in Taiwan in 1998 and quickly traveled to Japan. The cafés began largely because the desire for animal companions was repressed by landlords. The majority of tenants living in crowded areas were not allowed to house pets, so they turned to alternative solutions.

“Cat cafes started out of a need,” explained Meow Parlour co-founder, Christina Ha. “People wanted to be in the presence of animals, but they weren’t able to own them. Animals are really great stress relievers and NYC life can be very stressful.”

Because New Yorkers are accustomed to a high energy lifestyle, one that is easily comparable to cities with dense clusters of cat cafés, Ha and her partner, Emilie Legrand, believe that Meow Parlour will be sustainable.

“We signed a long-term lease,” said Ha. “So we really do believe in this project.”

Ha has extensive business background from her experience owning and operating the popular Macaron Parlour, which also serves as inspiration for Meow Parlour’s accompanying patisserie.

“Making it in the food industry in NYC is pretty tough so you really have to know what you’re doing when you get into that business,” Ha said. “That’s a pretty huge barrier to entry for any operator. It just so happens that I have two bakeries, so the food aspect was easier for us than it would be for someone else who is trying to open a cat café from scratch.”

Ha believes that one of the main reasons cat cafés haven’t already taken over New York is due to of the Department of Health, but she isn’t concerned about being able to follow their strict regulations.

“We have two separate storefronts for the cat space [and the bakery] and they can function as two separate businesses,” explained Ha.

“We are not preparing any food or selling the food in the same space that the cats are located and the cat space will be inspected by a member of the Department of Health and Hygiene’s Veterinary Public Health Services. Since the food establishment and the cat space are completely separate, there are no real concerns about food safety beyond what is normal for a bakery.”

Meow Parlour will operate using designated time-slots, with a minimum amount of thirty minutes in the cat room for four dollars. The Parlour recommends reserving a spot ahead of time in order to guarantee some kitty loving time. They also have prepared a list of rules for handling the cats to ensure their health, safety, and comfort.

Each cat in the Meow Parlour was recruited through the local non-profit KittyKind and will be available for adoption.

“I adopted my first cat from them last year, and I was worried he was lonely while I was at work,” Ha said. “KittyKind just happened to have an eight-week-old kitten that I fell in love with. They did an excellent job with all of the follow up after the adoption. They really care about each and every cat that they adopt out, it was so natural to ask them to be our partners.”

If patrons wish to adopt any of the cats they meet at the Parlour, Ha said that the process generally includes an application, an interview and a home inspection.

“I love the idea that you can’t just apply for a cat and take it home immediately,” said Ha. “It’s in [KittyKind’s] best interest to make sure the cats go to stable homes and don’t ever need to come back, so all of these steps help minimize that.”

Ha said that she didn’t see herself as a cat-lover, let alone a cat café owner, until she had the opportunity to own a cat herself. “They can be aloof and they sometimes run away from being pet, but they can also be silly and incredibly loyal,” she said. “If you’re not a cat person, don’t knock it until you’ve gotten to see all of the intricacies of their behavior.”

Meow Parlour will debut on December 15 at 46 Hester Street between Essex and Ludlow on the Lower East Side. In the meantime their website (www.meowparlour.com) contains extensive information on how to behave around the cats, how to make reservations, and some photos of the star felines.