TULSA, Okla. — After announcing over the summer that a location would be coming soon to Tulsa, the owners of a unique coffee shop in Oklahoma City say they’ve hit a roadblock.
Adam Fitzpatrick and his wife opened Don’t Stress Meowt Cat Café in Oklahoma City with immediate success. They got the idea to open one after a trip to Florida. They were surprised to find a cat café in the United States, under the assumption that the concept was only in Asian countries where they have grown in popularity.
“The owner mentioned that Oklahoma was a cat café desert, her exact words,” said Fitzpatrick.
They pounced on the idea, and Don’t Stress Meowt opened in May 2023. The cats are separated by an enclosure to comply with safety regulations.
“We don’t mix cats and coffee,” he said. “You can take the coffee in the cat lounge if you like."
There is also a private room for litter boxes or for cats who may be tired of visiting with humans for the day.
They partnered with a non-profit organization that provides adoptable cats. The café also gives proceeds to Safe Haven Pet Adoption as well. In five months, the café has adopted out 75 cats and donated roughly $8,000 to the organization.
“The support has been really awesome,” said Fitzpatrick. “I think people really appreciate what we are doing not only for a fun thing to do but a benefit to the community.”
However, they are still on the prowl for a Tulsa space. They struggled to find the first one because building owners were hesitant of the new idea. The Fitzpatricks almost secured a lease at the former 918 Coffee location near 11th and Lewis, but it fell through at the last minute.
Fitzpatrick said there was nothing negative about what happened. “No hard feelings to them. I just think they wanted to go with a tenant that didn’t want to make any changes to the building,” he said.
He’s confident in finding a Tulsa space soon and bringing Oklahoma’s only second cat café to Green Country. He’s also exploring options outside of Tulsa, like Broken Arrow or Sand Springs.
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