Cornwall native plans a cat cafe, inspired by South Korea

CORNWALL — When last we looked in on our intrepid friends in South Korea, Sarah Brown and Zack Durkin were halfway into a year of teaching English there as a means of seeing part of the world post-college. They were having the time of their lives attempting to master their jobs, learning at least a bit of Korean and immersing themselves in the culture. 

In between, the 24-year-olds have been thinking seriously about their life together — and they are working hard toward a future in which they would be owners of a cat cafe. Unfortunately for their friends in Brown’s native Cornwall, they are looking for a site in Durkin’s native Rhode Island.

Providence is the city of choice. The artsy city full of college students and young professionals offers the ideal customer base. It is sure to have plenty of fellow cat lovers, many of whom can’t have pets. That seems to be the reason the cafes do so well in South Korea. The country is sprinkled with them, and the couple enjoyed visits to several (at the risk of offending their own kitty). 

“We also feel that the novelty and environment of a cat cafe will bring in customers, even if they have pets at home,” Brown said in an email.

Taipei was the site of the very first cat cafe. That was quickly followed by others, including in South Korea. They aren’t all cat themed; there are also coffee houses celebrating dogs, Charlie Brown, Hello Kitty, board games and fish pedicures.

In the U.S., the West Coast has had cat cafes for a while now. The first on the East Coast opened in March in southeastern Massachusetts, not far from where Brown and Durkin hope to open the Purrfect Cup Cat Cafe.

Thorough research shows they will need, ideally, two adjoining storefronts or spaces to meet health-code requirements aimed at keeping cat hair out of the java. 

A lot of space is best for the cats anyway, allowing them to roam freely in a room where the  maximum number of people will be limited. The cats’ welfare is paramount. The plan is to adopt 10 to 20 from local shelters that endorse this alternative feline lifestyle. It will be the rare cat that will not fluorish with a steady stream of empty laps and hands ready to scratch behind furry ears.

At www.indiegogo.com, a fundraising website for start-ups, Brown and Durkin are collecting donations. For modest amounts, one can be among the first to reserve T-shirts, mugs and other promotional items with the cat cafe logo and early access admission (road trip!).

Fifty people have invested to date. The page is active until June 26. They are hoping that a last-minute push will get them to their goal of $25,000.

Brown and Durkin have saved money toward the project and are looking into small-business loans as a back up, and they are already thinking about a second location. Of course, it would have to be in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut, according to Brown. One cat-loving friend here sent them an enthusiastic email about the prospect.

Upon returning to the U.S. in August, where they will live initially with Durkin’s parents in Rhode Island, they will continue to move the cafe plan forward toward a goal of opening in early 2016. 

When asked if they have a backup plan, Brown, with the optimism of youth, said, “We’re really determined to open the cafe and are going to put all of our effort into it, no matter what. If it all fails we may end up back here in Korea planning our next endeavor.”

That was mostly a joke. Homesickness is setting in.

“We’re really excited to get home and see everyone, but at the same time lately we’ve beenthinking about all the things we will miss about being here. But don’t worry, we won’t be changing our minds.”