Drink, Pet, Adopt: Nabi Cat Cafe opening in Santa Clara in late summer or early fall
There’s a new cafe coming to Santa Clara where your take-home box might just be a cat.
At Nabi Cat Cafe, guests can not only play with and pet the cats, they can also adopt them. The Korean-inspired cafe is partnering with the San Jose Animal Care Center to be a foster home for cats and will serve human guests trendy Korean drinks, like cotton candy and tiramisu latte, and food, like waffles and pastries. Co-founders Christine Hedeen and Ailee Kim are sisters-in-law who are passionate about rescuing animals and plan to open their cafe in late summer or early fall.
“We want our space to be a place where people can relax and de-stress and potentially meet a cat that can change their lives in the same way our rescue animals have changed ours,” said Hedeen.
The inspiration for Nabi Cat Cafe came from Hedeen’s rescue cat, Misu, who was given the title of “encouragement boss”. Hedeen, a San Mateo resident, didn’t grow up with any pets, but later discovered her love for the pet industry while working in merchandising for the pet food aisle at Safeway, a corporate job where she works. at the moment.
“I feel like I get in my head a lot and think too much,” Hedeen said. “(Misu) is so happy, and all that matters is her next meal and sleep. And I think that made me want to strive to live a simpler life with her.”
Hedeen and Kim met about a year or two after Kim and Hedeen’s brother started dating.
“I’m the older sister, so of course I thought, ‘Who is this girl?’” Hedeen said. “But Ailee really turned out to be one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. She is so calm and collected and has such a good heart. And it was a joy to bring her into the family.”
Kim, a San Jose native, graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in hospitality and previously worked at a sushi restaurant, a Marriott hotel and a curry restaurant. She currently works as a barista at Blue Bottle Coffee and is using her food and beverage experience to create a menu of Korean-inspired food and drinks.
Both Hedeen and Kim are Korean-American and aim to establish the first Korean-inspired cat cafe in America. Not only will the food and drinks be Korean, but the decor and overall ambiance will also be “almost homey core,” Kim said.
“What we’re trying to do is comfortable (and) cozy, and most of all we just want to make it a cat haven, comfortable for us but also for the cats,” Kim said.
Nabi Cat Cafe plans to operate on a timed entry fee system, where one ticket entitles the guest to one hour in the cafe and a complimentary drink that can be upgraded to a premium drink for an additional charge. Opening hours will likely begin around 8am or 9am and close around 6pm or 7pm, although plans are still being finalized. Nabi Cat Cafe also plans to offer student discounts.
“(We’re) trying to get as many cats that need to find homes adopted as possible,” Kim said. “(We want to be) a relaxing haven not only for cats, but also for the humans that come to it, because cats can provide a lot of that relaxation and a calm environment for people.”
Nabi Cat Café, 2255 Alameda, Santa Clara. Instagram: @nabicatcafe.
