Cat Café Mad owner Cheryl Glover just didn’t realize how much money it would take to care for all those cats. She pays for health insurance to cover her crew of about 20 felines, but she’s still had to shell out thousands in unexpected medical costs. Less than a year after opening, her business was in jeopardy.
“There were two ways I could go,” Glover tells Isthmus. “I could close, which would break my heart, or I could go big.”
Glover opted for the latter, launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to improve her space at 1925 Monroe St. The effort brought in more than $11,000, which Glover has since matched — twice. She’s using the money to install a more substantial “café” area at the front of the store, where she will serve sweet and savory crepes alongside coffee from True Coffee Roasters. The new restaurant area is separated from the “cattery” by a newly built wall, which features bubble windows where the the cats can perch and observe what’s going on in the café.
It’s a major improvement from the original café setup, which was a simple, self-service beverage bar separated from the cat area by a chain link door. The self-serve setup was a way to comply with city health codes, which prohibits the preparation of food and drink in a space that houses animals, but customers wanted something more. “One of the biggest complaints I’ve had since opening was the K-cups,” Glover says, referring to the single-serve coffee pods used with Keurig machines.
Cat Café Mad hosted a soft opening over the weekend of Sept. 23-24, inviting Kickstarter donors to come sample the new menu and see the revamped space. One contributor, Deanna Morrison, stopped by for some snuggles on her way to WizardWorld. Morrison’s own beloved cat, Black Magic, died Aug. 22 at age 13. She’s been visiting the cattery to get her “kitten fix.”
“This place is great, and it’s a great way to get people to adopt,” she says, dangling a toy for a feisty tortoiseshell kitten. “I didn’t want to see it close.”
With the remodel still underway, the Cat Café is closed Monday-Wednesday for renovation but remains open Thursday-Sunday. Glover hopes to be fully operational within the next few weeks, and she’s hopeful that the revamped business will bring new customers in addition to more revenue. “We’re really excited,” she says. “But people still have to get used to the idea.”
