Imagine this: Adorable kitty cats snuggling all around you, as you sip on a deliciously rich (and equally adorable) paw-stamped latte, or snack on some tasty treats like banana Nutella “sushi” or strawberry and cream sandwiches.
Sound like your cup of tea?
Photo by Liza Tishchenko
If so, Kawaii Kitty Cafe is just the place for you. The brainchild of Kristin Eissler, and opened just over a month ago, Kawaii Kitty is Philadelphia’s newest and (in my humble opinion), cutest cat cafe. Paying homage to its widely popular Japanese counterparts, Kawaii Kitty cafe aims to unify arguably two of the world’s best features (coffee and cats) and provide us all with the chillest hangout place anyone could imagine.
Photo by Liza Tishchenko
Drinks are provided by Other Animal Coffee Roasters (a Philadelphia local), and a small menu is rotated seasonally. Currently on offer are snack items like tonkatsu (panko-breaded pork sandwich with ginger-orange slaw), strawberry and cream sandwiches, South Street bagels, banana Nutella “sushi” with fresh berries, organic PB&J sandwiches, vegan baked goods, as well as homemade green tea ice cream. An assortment of teas and smoothies is also available.
Photo by Liza Tishchenko
The cafe consists of two areas, and in observation of all city health codes, the cat lounge is separated from the main cafe area via a kitty-stamped glass door. Guests are free to head straight for the relaxing, pastel-colored lounge (featuring some whimsical artistic works) for some quality kitty bonding time after placing their orders. A small restroom area is similarly decked out in cozy feline-centered decor.
Photo by Liza Tishchenko
The cafe hosts anywhere from 8 to12 cats at a time, all from PAWS, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society. The lounge, with its abundance of toys, comfy couches, and cat-friendly furniture, provides the cats with a relaxed and home-like environment. The best part? You can adopt all of the cats. In fact, quite a number of cats have already been adopted within the cafe’s first month of operation.
Photo by Liza Tishchenko
A small shop in the main cafe area offers a variety of unique cruelty-free and vegan products supplied by Crazy Cat Lady Concoctions. Amongst these are soaps in a variety of scents, face and body mists, beauty balms, creams, teas, self-care books, and much more. An assortment of products from PAWS and Kawaii Kitty itself are also available for purchase.
Photo by Liza Tishchenko
Kawaii Kitty is sure to become a community staple, so if you’d like your own fair share of kitty bonding time, go make your cat lounge reservation now (in the cafe, though, walk-ins are always welcome), as spaces are limited. You may actually end up going home with an adorable little furry buddy of your own.
Photo by Liza Tishchenko