Catzen Coffee — Restaurant in Saint Paul

Edit: To be clear, the complaints below are not about policy, they are about COMMUNICATION. Throughout the ever-shifting policies of this place, communication has been middling at best. There is nothing on the outside of the building informing people of the newest policy, nor is there anything definitive about the schedule for children on the main page of their website (which describes it as “a welcoming neighborhood specialty coffee shop”).

What’s really lacking here is a commitment to be forthcoming with the policy changes. They happen quietly and then the staff and owner hide behind them, quietly blasting people with them only after they enter the shop. So there is no opportunity to suggest something else to the kids beforehand; instead we show up, get turned away with judging faces and pursed lips, and then need to manage our disappointed and dejected children, who have been told with body language and facial expressions that they are unwanted and not good enough.

Remember: People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

By not being clear and upfront, the staff and ownership of Catzen Coffee has made many members of the community feel unwanted and unwelcome. That’s a missed opportunity.

We really wanted to like this place. It is beautiful inside. The coffee is nice and the pastries from Vikings & Goddesses are delicious as usual.

The problem is that in less than a month they have rapidly shifted from being welcoming and friendly to being standoffish and pushy. Our family had been looking forward to the grand opening for months, and when we attended a soft open morning prior to the grand opening, the owner was very welcoming and excited to share with us all their plans and the general rules.

Of note, they had an age limit for being in the cat den: 9 or older. Except they were going to have time every morning from 7:00 to 9:00 am when kids under 9 could be there with their parents.

When we went in yesterday at 8:30 am with my 8-year old daughter who has grown up alongside cats (and is very kind and respectful of them), the owner looked at us as soon as we walked in the door and with a scowl on her face said, “Can I HELP you?”—making clear that we were not welcome. The tone was clear, enough so that I needed to ask whether we were even allowed to be in there to buy coffee.

Turns out that in the past three weeks they have radically revamped their age policy without making it clear anywhere. People now need to be at least FIFTEEN to be in the cat den, and the only time kids under 15 are allowed in is on Saturday mornings from 7 to 9.

It’s incredible that they have moved so radically from a place that is friendly and excited to be part of the community, to being so exclusive that they have open disdain for anyone who dares even walk in the door with a child.

It’s a real disappointment. I was looking forward to liking this place. Turns out that I will need to be making my voice heard by being clear about my experience and not giving...

I absolutely loved this place! Not just because I’m a cat lover, but because the coffee is genuinely delicious and the overall experience is exceptional. The service was outstanding—everyone on the team was warm, cheerful, and welcoming.

One of the things I appreciated most is the thoughtful layout: the café space is separated by glass from the cat lounge. This makes it perfect for people with allergies (like my boyfriend), since they can still enjoy the ambiance from the café side without direct contact but watching them from the window inside the cafe, while still having a clear view of the cats. Both areas are warm, cozy and ideal for sitting down with a cup of coffee.

The cats live in a cozy space in the basement below the café and have their own private entrance to the cat lounge. This allows them to come and go freely, choosing when they want to interact with visitors without ever being forced to socialize. I found this incredibly thoughtful and respectful of their well-being.

Ideally, it’s best to reserve in advance to guarantee your spot, as space is limited. I was lucky to walk in without a reservation and still enjoy time with them, as the cat lounge wasn’t at full capacity that day.

The experience inside the cat lounge was absolutely wonderful. The space is beautifully kept—impeccably clean, warm, and inviting. The décor is full of charm, unique, original, really authentique and sincere, with cat-themed art, vibrant textures, and colors that make you feel instantly at home.

Some of the cats came by during my visit—friendly, calm, and clearly happy. You can tell they’re well cared for and enjoy interacting with guests. They have many toys available all around the room so you can interact and play with them if they are in the mood and approach to you.

They also have scratching toys, hammocks and gyms in the room as well as food and clean water.

I loved the detail of the little book with the photos and stories of each kitten, it gives you an idea of ​​each one's personality and you learn to recognize them by their colors and names.

There is also a small shop selling cat curiosities inside the cafe.

Having time with the cats inside is a wonderful experience for children and adults: enriching, relaxing and joyful, a real therapy!

I had such a heartwarming time and would highly recommend this place to any cat lover looking for a unique and cozy...

UPDATE Since my visit I had seen that the business had adjusted some of their procedures when it comes to visiting the cat room. For now, I will keep my review as follows and will adjust once I revisit, however I’ll be adjusting my overall rating for the very quick change from customer feedback:

Visited on January 4th, just a few days after their grand opening. The design and decoration is very well done for a coffee shop. However, due to the popularity of this new cat cafe, there was a lot of people, which is expected.

My review and rating is based off of the experience of it being a cat cafe. There is one, very nice decorated room with glass walls on most of the sides with furniture for both cats and humans. Due to how many people were in the cat room, I wasn’t able to even see one cat while waiting about 15 minutes for my latte. There was simply too many people, and frankly this is a recipe for disaster for the cats/people. I could count maybe 20+ people packed in that small room, all sitting or standing and crowding over areas where there might be a cat. I’m not an animal expert and do not know their cats personally, however I’m afraid that an accident could happen with the over crowding of people in the room. Also, if the cats are over stimulated or overwhelmed, I didn’t see any “safe” place for them to go to.

I want to see this new business succeed but there’s too many potential hazards involving the cat room and I suggest the business to re-think on having a limit of occupants, at the very least, an employee overseeing the cat room so there isn’t any issues for both the cats and people. I didn’t attempt to go into the cat room because I didn’t feel comfortable with the over-crowded space.

Regarding the staff, they seemed friendly and pleasant despite how busy they were, and the remaining places seemed nice and clean.

We only ordered lattes, and was surprised there was no sugar-free syrup options. However, the lattes we ordered were decent.

Overall I think this new cat cafe has a lot of potential but due to the over popularity it’s worrisome that over-crowding and lack of monitoring could lead to...