While some businesses hung a “closed” sign in their window on New Year’s Day, Catzen Coffee had a line out the door and down the block for its Jan. 1 grand opening.

A cat cafe, Catzen Coffee serves up specialty coffee and quick bites on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue with top-notch entertainment: cats roaming, romping and soaking up any attention they can get.

Owner Vanessa Beardsley, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years, said it’s been a longtime 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 has been looking forward to us opening — but we did not expect the line out the door and down the block. And it lasted all day,” Beardsley said.

Named after “katzen,” the German word for cats, the shop at 1416 Grand Ave. spans about 2,000 square feet and is divided into three sections: the coffee shop, the lab and the den.

Visitors enter through the cat-free coffee shop where everything espresso-related is crafted and where charcuterie boards are made after 4 p.m. with local ingredients.

The lab space holds monthly coffee classes like tastings and at-home espresso-making and can be reserved for group activities, Beardsley said.

The den houses the main attraction and permanent residents of Catzen, some eight different felines.

Stars of the show

Halloween Blizzard the cat entertains patrons at Catzen Coffee on Grand Avenue in St. Paul on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The specialty coffee shop with cats opened its doors Jan. 1. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

The den is home to Tim the Enchanter, a gray Lykoi cat; Boudica (“Boo”) Biscotti Light-Roast Lexington, a gray-and-white striped cat with tucked ears; and Big Joe, an enormous Maine Coon cat, to name just a few.

All of the cats, minus Big Joe, were adopted as kittens and raised together to ensure they got along, Beardsley said.

For those 15 and older, the den is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Tuesday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Youth ages 10 to 14 are allowed anytime with a parent or guardian and for those 9 years old or younger, there are daily Small Child Hours from 7 to 9 a.m.

As full-time residents of the coffee shop, the cats eat, sleep and stay overnight in the den, which also has a ramp to the basement in case they need some alone time.

While Beardsley refused to name a favorite fur friend, she did say, “Big Joe loves the attention the most. He is so gentle and so gigantic.”

The cats of the shop are not up for adoption, but Catzen does highlight an adoption organization each month on its website and Pet Haven is currently in the spotlight.

Louisa Boetter, 8, of St. Paul holds biographies of the resident cats at Catzen Coffee on Grand Avenue in St. Paul on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The specialty coffee shop with cats opened its doors Jan. 1. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Kerry D’Amato, executive director of Pet Haven, said the Minneapolis organization helped place 775 cats in homes in 2024.

Cat cafes are helping to change cultural misconceptions about felines, D’Amato said.

“Cat cafes show us cats are not aloof,” D’Amato said in an email. “(Cat cafes) can very much improve the quality of life for a cat, but they need to be cats that are very social, like contact with other cats and people.”

One potential stressor for cats in cat cafes is overcrowding, which can lead to medical issues, D’Amato said. “We must put (the cats’) emotional well being front and center,” D’Amato said, including monthly medical checks and having visitors wash their hands before entering cat spaces.

About 5,000 cats were adopted locally from the Animal Humane Society in each of the past four years, said Paul Sorenson, a spokesperson for the AHS. More than 2.5 million cats were adopted nationwide in 2023, Sorenson said.

For those visiting a cat cafe for the first time, D’Amato said to let the cats come to you and offer your hand for a sniff. Unlike dogs, if you see a cat twitching its tail, it means it needs a break.

A place to gather

Halloween Blizzard the cat chases a laser pointer as it entertains patrons at Catzen Coffee on Grand Avenue in St. Paul on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The specialty coffee shop with cats opened its doors Jan. 1. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

A former attorney, Beardsley said that as her son approached young adulthood, she had time to think about what she wanted to do next when she thought of her mother’s sage advice.

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“You need to make the change in the way you can,” her mother told her. “The change I can make is in my community,” Beardsley said.

“I wanted to start something that would inject some positivity in our community, a place where we could gather,” she said.

In addition to bringing her neighbors together, Beardsley also hopes to elevate other business owners by offering up the lab space for nearby shops like candle-seller Rosaline’s Place to host classes.

“Coffee shops have either disappeared or become chains where they turn to a hard aesthetic and conveyor-belt mentality in how they serve their customers. (Coffee chains) don’t want a place to sit and relax,” Beardsley said. “That is what I am trying to bring back.”

Catzen Coffee

What: A cat cafe serving up specialty coffee and quick bites with cats roaming in the den.

Where: 1416 Grand Ave., St. Paul

Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Tuesday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Youth ages 10 to 14 are allowed anytime with a parent or guardian; ages 9 or younger allowed during daily Small Child Hours from 7 to 9 a.m.

More info: catzencoffee.com