While some businesses hung “closed” signs in their windows on New Year’s Day, Catzen Coffee had a line out the door and down the block for its grand opening on Jan. 1.
Catzen Coffee, a cat cafe, serves specialty coffee and quick bites on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue with top-notch entertainment: cats walking around, romping and enjoying all the attention they can get.
Owner Vanessa Beardsley, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years, said it has long been a dream to start a small business in her neighborhood and on Wednesday that dream became a reality.
“We expected some interest – we know the neighborhood is looking forward to our opening – but we didn’t expect there to be a line out the door and a block away. And it lasted all day,” Beardsley said.
The store at 1416 Grand Ave., named after “katzen,” the German word for cats, spans approximately 2,000 square feet and is divided into three sections: the coffee shop, the laboratory and the study.
Visitors enter through the cat-free coffee shop where everything related to espresso is made and where charcuterie boards are made with local ingredients after 4 p.m.
The lab space offers monthly coffee classes, such as tastings and at-home espresso making, and can be reserved for group activities, Beardsley said.
The den is home to Catzen’s main attraction and permanent residents, about eight different felines.
Stars of the show
The den is home to Tim the Enchanter, a gray Lykoi cat; Boudica (“Boo”) Biscotti Light-Roast Lexington, a gray-and-white tabby cat with tucked-in ears; and Big Joe, a huge Maine Coon cat, to name a few.
All the cats, minus Big Joe, were adopted as kittens and raised together to ensure they got along, Beardsley said.
For people aged 15 and over, the study room is open from Monday to Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wednesday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Youth ages 10 to 14 are admitted at any time accompanied by a parent or guardian, and for children 9 years or younger, small children’s hours are available daily from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
As full-time residents of the coffee shop, the cats eat, sleep and spend the night in the den, which also has a ramp to the basement in case they need some time to themselves.
Although Beardsley declined to name a favorite furry friend, she did say, “Big Joe loves attention the most. He is so gentle and so huge.”
The store’s cats are not up for adoption, but Catzen does feature an adoption organization on its website every month, and Pet Haven is currently in the spotlight.
Kerry D’Amato, executive director of Pet Haven, said the Minneapolis-based organization helped place 775 cats into homes in 2024.
Cat cafes help change cultural misconceptions about cats, D’Amato said.
“Cat cafes show us that cats are not aloof,” D’Amato said in an email. “(Cat cafes) can greatly improve a cat’s quality of life, but they must be cats that are very social, such as contact with other cats and people.”
A potential stressor for cats in cat cafes is overcrowding, which can lead to medical problems, D’Amato said. “We need to prioritize the emotional well-being of the cats,” D’Amato said, including monthly medical checkups and having visitors bathed before entering the cat areas.
In each of the past four years, about 5,000 cats have been adopted locally by the Animal Humane Society, said Paul Sorenson, a spokesman for the AHS. More than 2.5 million cats were adopted nationwide by 2023, Sorenson said.
For those visiting a cat cafe for the first time, D’Amato said, let the cats come up to you and extend your hand for a sniff. Unlike dogs, if you see a cat moving its tail, it means it needs a break.
A place to gather
Beardsley, a former attorney, said that as her son approached young adulthood, she had time to think about what she wanted to do next when she remembered her mother’s sage advice.
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“You have to make the change the way you can,” her mother told her. “The change I can make happens in my community,” Beardsley said.
“I wanted to start something that would bring some positivity to our community, a place where we could come together,” she said.
In addition to bringing her neighbors together, Beardsley also hopes to uplift other business owners by offering the lab space to area stores, such as candle retailer Rosaline’s Place, to hold classes.
“Coffee shops have disappeared or have become chains where they adopt a hard aesthetic and assembly line mentality in the way they serve their customers. (Coffee chains) don’t want a place to sit and relax,” Beardsley said. “That’s what I’m trying to bring back.”
Catzen coffee
What: A cat cafe serving specialty coffee and quick snacks while cats roam around the study.
Where: 1416 Grand Avenue, St. Paul
Opening hours: Monday to Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wednesday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Young people aged 10 to 14 are always allowed accompanied by a parent or guardian; ages 9 or younger permitted during daily grandchild hours of 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM
More information: catzencoffee.com
