A new coffee shop on Naperville's busy Route 59 corridor will let customers sip a latte next to a cat looking for a home. Cafe Purrfection, slated to open in mid-November, is owner Carol Jamil's first business venture, and it will welcome walk-in customers for coffee while encouraging advance bookings for anyone who wants dedicated time in the cat-play room.
Jamil told the Chicago Tribune that no reservation is required for customers who just want coffee, but she is steering those hoping to play with the cats toward scheduled time slots. Jamil said she wanted to do something with animals. She was a stay-at-home mom for almost 20 years.
Cafe Purrfection sits at 1550 N. Route 59, near the intersection of McDowell Road and North Route 59, placing it near the quickly developing Block 59 area. The stretch near Block 59 and Fox Valley Mall has recently added major dining names including Velvet Taco and The Cheesecake Factory, according to WhatNow.
Coffee on One Side, Cats on the Other
The cafe will have a coffee area and a separate room for meeting cats. Chicago's Catcade operated under the city's Animal Cafe permit and served prepackaged items, as reported by DNAinfo. Jamil plans to serve prepackaged snacks and drinks, including coffee and refreshers, many with cat-themed names.
Up to 10 rescue cats from the Wheaton-based Animal Rescue Foundation will live in the play area and be available for adoption.
A Partnership for a Volunteer-Run Rescue
The Animal Rescue Foundation has partnered with Cafe Purrfection. Volunteers began the organization in 1985; the all-volunteer group later received 501(c)(3) status and rescues more than 1,000 homeless cats and dogs annually across the Midwest without government funding, according to the Animal Rescue Foundation. The partnership will help connect cats with potential adopters.
A.R.F. relies primarily on foster homes, while the cafe will give adoptable cats a public place to meet potential adopters. Cafe Purrfection previewed its menu and hosted sample drink tastings at an Animal Rescue Foundation community event.
A Shelter System Under Strain
The timing lines up with a rough stretch for DuPage County's public shelter system. In August, DuPage County Animal Services reported a 30% year-over-year surge in kitten intakes at its Wheaton facility, leaving 172 cats and kittens on hand at a shelter built for roughly 100, the Daily Herald reported.
Cafe Purrfection joins a regional category of rescue-partnered cat cafes. The Catcade was a first-of-its-kind Chicago venue operating under the city's new Animal Cafe permit, with a living-room-style lounge and a rescue focus, as DNAinfo reported.
For Jamil, the mid-November opening will launch her Naperville storefront, pairing coffee with up to 10 cats hoping to find homes.
