Have you recently thought of starting a pet cafe but don’t know where to start? Starting a pet cafe is not a cakewalk for sure. But if the idea has just popped up in your mind, you’re at the right place.
There is a lot of information and I don’t want to bombard each and every tiny meticulous detail in this piece. I’ll tell you all the basic information you need to get started. A pet cafe or, in general, an animal cafe is not the newest concept, but I’d say you can do a lot more.
Why It’s a Good Idea to Start a Pet Cafe
Let me surprise you with a fact that there are owl cafes, goat cafes, sheep cafes as well! People who ventured to open cafes and restaurants with novel and unique (sometimes crazy) ideas are basically trying to make our lives more joyous.
Dining or, in general, eating in a pleasing environment is the key to the success of a cafe or a restaurant. And the pleasing environment is a combined effect of quality of food, taste, hygiene, the staff, music, ergonomics, basically everything present in a restaurant.
Considering that, the presence of animals in there while you eat makes you feel connected with a part of nature. The idea here is not just to let customers be with companion animals like cats or dogs, but also it includes animals in general. Owls aren’t that cuddly, neither are sheep nor goats, but the success of such cafes lies in the connection between humans and animals.
How to Start a Pet Cafe
There are basically two popular but not limited business models to run a pet cafe. There are pets like either cats or dogs, for example, are present in the cafe. Visitors simply pay a cover charge for say half an hour and get complimentary drinks or snacks. Or you can lower a cover charge and visitors pay for food and beverages they want to have.
While you might wish to have as many visitors as possible, you’ll have to limit the inflow of people. Cats and dogs are harmonious and social. There’s no doubt about that. But losing control over a situation is always a risk. Some pet cafes also operate on reservations only to avoid overcrowding.
Most pet cafes have a separate pet zone because roaming pets in the dining area are objectionable to some. Moreover, it also requires the utmost efforts from the staff for hygiene concerns. You should allow people to sip and bite in the pet zone tho.
It’s evident that you have to get respective permissions for opening a cafe. But since there are animals involved you will have to take special permissions for zoning, leasing, etc. You will have to check for the rules and laws in your state. The whole procedure of getting permits can take up to a few months.
Keep Food-Preparation Room Pet Free
No one likes pet hair in their food or drinks. Just one case and your cafe’s reputation will take a heavy toll. If you want to open a restaurant where you have to cook food and serve the visitors, you will have to make a separate arrangement.
Alternatively, if you’re going to serve packed food, things are easier for you. You need to also make sure pets don’t have access to food because human foods can make them sick.
Ensure that cats or dogs in your cafe get to eat enough. Moreover, you can provide food enrichment to them so that they stay happy and satisfied. For that, you can use puzzled feeders, slow feed cat bowls, or other food enrichment ideas.
You will need firm rules for visitors to follow. Follow all the rules or they should be removed from the space.
Adoption Events and Partnering with Shelters
We have talked about the pets in the cafe already. But where do they come from? The idea is to partner with shelters. All pets in the cafe ought to be available for adoption. This can be beneficial to you and also help pets find their forever home.
When visitors are allowed to spend time with animals, cuddle them, and pat them, it’s likely they will adopt them. Also, a pet cafe can be a better place for some to adopt a pet because they can spend more time with pets available there compared to shelters.
People who won’t ever visit shelters for adoption may also end up getting one. Even if your visitors are not adopting pets initially, you can ask them to fill out a short survey. This will help you make further decisions.
Try to get inspiration from already established pet cafes across the globe. Some pet cafes have reached their one year’s adoption targets in just two months of time.
In addition to this, you should encourage adoptions by offering discounts and coupons on the purchase of foods or cover charges.
Website and Social Media Handles
This is one of the important factors that will decide the success of your cafe. When you’re finalizing the name of your cafe, you should check the availability of the usernames on all social media handles and domain names for a website.
Choosing a unique name for a cafe is always a wise decision. You can end up having a similar name for which a cafe is already existing. It will cost you time and money both for rebranding later.
Final Thoughts
I hope you now have a clearer idea of pet cafes. It’s a great idea for starting one and simultaneously, you’re helping animals find a forever home. In addition to this, insurance also is crucial and of big help in a dog bite case or any incidents inflicted by an animal inside the cafe. Do you have any questions? Let us know in the comment section, as we’d be happy to help!
