The Scoop: St. Louis to get its first cat cafe, Mauhaus Cat Cafe & Lounge

    Brace yourselves, cat lovers. St. Louis will soon have its very own cat cafe. Co-founder Ben Triola confirmed Mauhaus Cat Cafe & Lounge is slated to open next spring. The four-person Mauhaus team – Triola, along with Dana Huth, Niklaus Risler and Taylor Maxwell – has selected a location, which will be about 1,400 square feet, but has not disclosed the address. Cat cafes are de rigueur in places like San Francisco and New York City. The idea is that being around the cats – and spending time playing with them – is comforting and therapeutic for people and the animals. Most of the 10 to 15 cats at Mauhaus will be adoptable. “Dana and I had visited a couple cat cafes on our last trip to Thailand, and we just loved the idea so much and we were kind of sad that we couldn’t visit one at home. We think this is something St. Louis can get behind,” Triola said. Mauhaus will offer typical cafe fare and an internationally focused beverage menu. “We’re trying to offer people more than just drip coffee,” Triola said. “Because we know that it’s not going to be a normal morning routine coffee stop for people, we want to offer coffees and teas that are unique and have an international flair. We’re thinking things like Vietnamese iced coffee, Thai iced tea and Italian mocha pots – something that takes a little more time and you can’t get at other coffee shops.” According to Risler, who has worked as a barista in New York City and locally at Stone Spiral and more recently at Living Room, Mauhaus will also offer espresso drinks as well as coffee made using pour-over and other new-wave brewing methods. The food at Mauhaus will be made in the “humans-only” section, but diners are free to take their treats in to hang out with the cats. Expect cheese, pastries, biscotti, toasts and other bakery items, either locally sourced or prepared in-house. The team will be working with an architect over the coming months to make their vision a reality. The majority of the seating will be indoors with the cats (and lower to the ground for easy petting), but seasonal outdoor seating is also possibility as well. St. Louis won’t have to wait until next year to get to know what Mauhaus is all about, though. “We’re going to have a lot of micro events so people can get to know us and know our food and beverage offerings before opening,” Triola said. Look for announcements on the Mauhaus Facebook page and Twitter handle.