Hadyn Hilton, owner of Java Cats Cafe, visited Seattle Meowtropolitan before embarking on opening her own cat cafe. / Contributed photo
Here's some paw-sitively good news that will leave you feeling purr-fect: There's an official address and approximate opening time period for Java Cats Cafe, Atlanta's first-ever cat cafe*. Here's what you need to know before it opens:
Where will it be located, and when will it open?
Java Cats will open at 415 Memorial Dr., Suite C (for, well, you know) in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta, in a development that also houses Tin Lizzy’s Cantina and My Friend’s Growler Shop. The spot is set to open in late November or early December, and will be open 7 days a week.
What will the menu look like?
Java Cats will serve a full coffee drink menu and pre-packaged pastries, cold sandwiches and cookies from The Gathering, a non-profit organization sponsored by the Atlanta Mission that helps homeless men and women get back on their feet by teaching them culinary skills.
So what’s the deal with the cats?
The cafe is allowed to have as many as 20 cats in the cafe at a time, but owner Hadyn Hilton said she’ll likely start with 12-15. She’s working with local animal rescue group Paws Atlanta to identify cats that would do well in a social setting. The cafe will be divided into two spaces: one where patrons can order food and eat it in a cat-free environment, if they choose, and a partitioned “cat lounge” where the cats will be kept and customers can go in with their food and drinks if they want.
Customers who want to hang out in the “cat lounge” will be charged a small cover fee, which will include a coffee drink.
How about adoption?
All cats are spayed or neutered and will be available for on-site adoption. All money from adoptions will go back to Paws Atlanta.
What was the impetus behind the cafe?
A lifelong cat lover and owner — “there’s never been a time in my life when we didn’t have cats” — Hilton has been thinking about starting a cat cafe since the end of last year. She visited Seattle Meowtropolitan, a Seattle cat cafe, in March, to talk with the owners and see how the business was operated, and started looking for a space in Atlanta when she returned. She left her job as a host captain at the Ford Fry restaurant St. Cecilia this week after two years to dedicate herself fully to her furry endeavor.
*Happy Tabby Cat Cafe is also set to open in Atlanta, "near the Beltline," owner April Hill told The Signal, though she didn't have an exact opening date.
Can't wait for Java Cats to open? Tide yourself over with a visit to the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck next weekend at Atlantic Station.
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