The cat cafe, an Asian trend that recently hit the U.S., is a dream or a nightmare depending on how feline friendly you are: it's a coffee shop where you can hang out with a bunch of adoptable cats. New Orleans' first cat cafe, Dat Cat Cafe, is in the works on Magazine Street between Peniston and Amelia streets, but it looks like some red tape will delay the opening until next year.
Co-owners Miranda Schneider and Drew Rumley are running into problems getting the cafe open because Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals regulations prohibit animals from being in the same building as a food service establishment. Because of that, the cafe will be split into two businesses: a cat visiting room and a proper cafe.
Sorry, cat lovers: Looks like you'll have to wait a little longer for your cat-puccinos.
· Proposed Dat Cat Cafe tangled in a ball of red tape [NOLA.com]
· America's First Cat Cafe Is Open. Here's What It's Like Inside. [Huffington Post]