Gem City Catfe — Restaurant in Dayton

Want to be surrounded by beautiful, well groomed cats whole you work on a project? Want a place to sit and enjoy an almost home-like experience with friends or family? Of all the places I have been to for coffee, I find myself enjoying the atmosphere of this one-of-a-kind coffeeshop the most. It has just the right amount of love, charm, and ambiance to make staying here enjoyable. Now let me explain why it only gets 4 Stars for a rating.

First and foremost, the coffee is meh. Kind of burnt, bitter taste that really leaves you wanting more. I had a Cappuccino and a Latte and neither really stood our from each other. Both were steamed very airy and swiss cheese foam plagued both cups after only a few minutes. If the Italian style of a Cappuccino was what they wish to serve, it's accurate, but the latte did not deserve such treatment. Perhaps I am too particular about how milk is steamed, but this is only because a well steamed glass-like foam will always taste better than a dry, burnt, bitter milk foam. Overall, if you're looking for excellent espresso coupled with sweetly steamed milk, then look elsewhere. Now, this is why I will be coming back again and again.

This place is like Lego Land for cats. Yes, cats are the main focus for the store, but even a dog lover like myself will enjoy the company of a diverse crowd of felines. Honestly, if I loved cats, I would gladly pay the $10 per hour charge to sit among the animals while I work. It is $10 per person, per hour, so come prepared to spend some money, sign a waiver, and leave quickly if you mean to bring friends into the animal area. I'm sure it's a perfect way to spend an afternoon if one has the time for it!

The decor within the shop is quaint with a great amount of charm. From the cat themed mugs they give for your coffee to the entire upstairs lounge showcasing local artwork from local artists within the Dayton Art community. It looks and feels as though you're at home, away from home. Bathrooms are located upstairs and downstairs respectively. There is also a merchandise front near the register that sells a wide variety of gear ranging from coffee equipment to cat-loving swag. Parking is found behind the store, which is great as it doesn't congest traffic.

The best place to relax with friends in Dayton, Ohio hands down. Still, if you want really good coffee, try...

I have been wanting to visit a cat cafe for quite some time now. My husband surprised me with a visit for a mini date. Everything seemed great when we got there. Got some coffee and a piece of lemon pound cake. The cake was overdone and dry. But one of the kitties sure seemed to like it! I didn’t feed it, but it reminded me of my senior girl we put to sleep recently.

The first major red flag was the amount of cats in the small space. There were probably a dozen or so cats in the room. I know they’re probably not there long before adoption, but with cats being so territorial, this just felt wrong. The second major red flag was the amount of people allowed in the room. Probably twenty or so? Stressed cats get even more stressed. A majority of our time there we just sat and watched cats fight. The third red flag was a lack of attention by the employees. There were definitely people visiting who obviously had no basic cat knowledge. Several people seemed to hone in on this one specific black and white female cat who definitely wanted to be left alone, but didn’t want to leave her perch. Two girls started poking at this cat, agitating it to the point of growling and swatting at them. This continued for the duration of the hour. Near the end of the hour, a young boy continuously poked this cat’s primordial pouch over and over with a toy, laughing at the cat lunged at him with vicious growls. It wasn’t until the end of the hour an employee asked the boy to leave the cat alone (after my husband who is very new to cats told him that this poor cat was tired of playing.) There definitely should be some more general observation from the employees to ensure the cats best wellbeing when it comes to people who are new to cats. At the very least, a spare room to place cats who have obviously had enough social interaction for the day.

This whole experience left us heartbroken, wishing we could have just adopted that black and white female right then to get her out of the...

There are not enough words to describe how wonderful this place is! I’m the Interior Designer who helped the owners with the design, but I spend almost every day there since they opened, so I feel I’m pretty qualified to write an unbiased review. I’ve seen everyone who works there in all types of situations (including hiding in the basement with all of the cats during a tornado warning), and the people who work here are the real deal! I’ve never seen such happy people who are totally dedicated to their jobs all in the same place! The coffee is always amazing, the drink specials are interesting, and I have consumed every treat they sell and they are all fantastic (right now I’m partial to the vegan chocolate cookies). All of the events held have been sold out and during several First Friday nights the entire building was standing-room-only. The café and art gallery are both beautiful and functional and this place is a great place to work, hang out, and/or pet cats (only if you want). There is a separate area and HVAC system for the cats, so if cats aren’t your thing, that’s okay too! I promise you really won’t even notice they are there. Of course the cats aren’t just there for fun, they are adoptable! Their mission statement is Cats-Community-Coffee and everyone is experienced and passionate about pet welfare and very involved in the community by participating in all types of events. Gem City Catfé is the perfect example how one idea (saving cats) can grow into a community gathering place for people who all share the same goals, whether it’s drinking great coffee, hanging out with cats, building the community through events, or just a place to talk to other locals, this business is a true asset to Saint Anne’s Hill...