MASON, Ohio — With more than 20 cats roaming, sleeping, or playing throughout its lounge, Kitty Brew Cafe has plenty to keep its cat-loving visitors occupied.

What You Need To Know

  • Kitty Brew Cafe is a cat rescue and coffee shop

  • The business has facilitated more than 2100 adoptions

  • The cafe has struggled due to the pandemic and the owner says they needed donations to stay open

  • Donations raised $20,000 in a week

The business opened in 2017 after owner Jenni Barrett heard an idea that combined her passion for animal rescue with a budding desire to become an entrepreneur.

“I saw an episode of ‘Shark Tank’ and a woman had pitched the idea to the sharks,” she said.

It was a two-in-one idea: a coffee shop and a cat rescue. In one side of the business, customers would be able to buy food and drinks. On the other side, they could rent time to play with cats, all of whom are available for adoption. Proceeds from both enterprises fund the business and help care of the cats.

Barrett said the hardest part was getting banks to bite and securing the space.

“We found these two spaces,” she said. “We lucked out.”

Nestled in two side-by-side stores in a Mason, Ohio business park, Barrett said the business grew every year and its relationship with area shelters has gotten stronger.

The shelters supply the cats and as of November 2020, more than 2100 have been adopted from the cafe. Barrett said few coming in can resist falling in love with one of her kitties.

“We were very successful, very successful until COVID,” she said.

The business relies on people to visit in-person for an experience. Fewer people are willing to do so as the pandemic wears on.  

“It was very bleak for a few weeks ago cause I didn’t know if we were going to be able to keep running because we weren’t making enough,” Barrett said.

Barrett said adoption numbers were still high, but business expenses were stacking up. Not only was she concerned she wouldn’t be able to stay open, but Barrett said the cats’ welfare was on the line.

She started asking for donations and opened a GoFundMe page. The response was quicker and stronger than she ever imagined.

“Everyone helping us right now means the world to us,” she said.

Hundreds of donations poured in in just a week, raising more than $20,000. Barrett said that’s enough to pay rent until the spring.  

“It’s alleviated so much pressure for the next four to five months while we wait to hear if we’re gong to get anymore government grants,” she said.

Barrett is holding out hope that there will be another round of PPP or small business grants, giving places like hers a little wiggle room until or we start seeing COVID vaccine distribution. Until then, she said she’s grateful for the cat-lovers who have helped her business stay above water and allowed these kitties to spend their days playing in a lounge rather than waiting in a cage until their adoption.