From morning till evening – a live queue
According to E. Viršyla, the first day of operation exceeded all expectations.
“Although it was a much-anticipated cafe, we truly didn’t expect such a large customer flow. From opening until closing – 9 PM, there was a live queue waiting outside the door. Unfortunately, not everyone managed to get in during the day, as the occupancy was really high – we didn’t have a single free table,” he recounted.
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According to the interviewee, a large flow of visitors is also expected during the upcoming Sea Festival and for some time after it. However, the opening had to be postponed.
Although the cafe was planned to open earlier, the plans were adjusted due to a shortage of staff.
“The main issue was the shortage of staff at our other cat cafe in Anykščiai. Since work there needed to be coordinated, it was not possible to come to Klaipėda and ensure smooth preparations for the opening. Therefore, it had to be postponed a bit,” explained E. Viršyla.
The idea was born after visiting the Netherlands
The idea for the cat cafe was not born in Lithuania. According to the manager, it all started when he lived in the Netherlands.
“There, I visited a cat cafe with a similar concept and was very impressed. Later, I visited several more in the Netherlands and Germany. After that, I decided that such an activity needed to be started in Lithuania,” he recalled.
He emphasized that cafes of this format are not new in Lithuania – a cat cafe already operates in Vilnius, but its concept is different.
“In Vilnius, advance reservation is required, and only snacks are offered, while our cafe has a wide food menu. Our concept is more like a traditional cafe, not a snack bar, like in Vilnius,” said the interviewee.
Nevertheless, the Klaipėda cat cafe operates on the same model as the cat cafe he manages in Anykščiai. “Since we received great visitor interest there, we decided to do everything analogously,” said the restaurant founder.
According to E. Viršyla, the decision to expand specifically to Klaipėda was very personal.
“I liked Klaipėda since childhood. I always knew that in the future I wanted to live exactly here. When we decided to expand, we didn’t even consider other cities,” he stated.
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Cats are moving into new homes gradually
Currently, five cats live in the cafe, but in the future there will be eight. All of them came from shelters or were handed over by people.
“We don’t want to cause the cats a lot of stress, so we are gradually acclimatizing them. Every few weeks, we will introduce one new cat. We don’t want to throw them all into one place at once,” explained the manager.
According to him, all residents of the cafe are calm and enjoy human company.
“All cats are very friendly, calm-natured, and can be petted. They also have a separate room, so if they no longer want attention, they can retreat there, where visitors cannot reach them. However, during the opening, they didn’t even use it – they enjoyed people’s attention,” he added.
To ensure the animals do not experience stress, their well-being is constantly monitored.
“During the opening, we had a separate employee who took care of the cats and observed their behavior. None showed signs of tension. Some lay on visitors’ laps, others rubbed against their legs,” recounted E. Viršyla.
Great attention is also paid to cleanliness.
“Before each new visitor, tables are disinfected and wiped. Floors are washed at least four to five times a day, often even more frequently. Chairs and other surfaces are also cleaned. And cats cannot enter food preparation and storage areas,” he emphasized.
Although the cafe offers a wide selection of food and drinks, E. Viršyla had no doubt what attracts visitors the most:
“Unequivocally, people come for the cats. They want to spend time with them, pet them, take photos. There hasn’t been such a cafe in Klaipėda until now, so everyone is very curious.”
So far, the businessman has not revealed whether more such cafes are planned to open in the future.
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“We haven’t decided yet. We’ll see how it goes. Anything is possible,” said E. Viršyla.
