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A love of furry felines turns into a business opportunity

“There were days when I didn’t even make enough money to cover my labor costs, but we made it,” says Angeli Rodriguez, owner of The Witty Whisker.

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Rodriguez hopes to franchise her business and use it as supplement to animal shelters.
Rodriguez hopes to franchise her business and use it as supplement to animal shelters.
Angeli Rodriguez

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Angeli Rodriguez has always had a love of cats. In June 2020, she decided to launch her very own cat café, The Witty Whisker in St. Augustine, Florida. After dealing with some setbacks, Rodriguez got enough money together to open up her part-cat lounge, part-coffee shop. Customers can grab something to eat or drink from her coffee shop and then head on over to the cat lounge, located in a separate room, to spend time with furry felines.

“You can actually feel what it would be like to be at home, you know, drinking a nice cup of tea with a little cat curled up on your lap,” Rodriguez says.

For future plans, Rodriguez would like to franchise the business and use it as a supplement to animal shelters and rescues. “I think cat cafés are the way to help really showcase your kitties and help them get adopted quickly.”

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