Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Owner of cat cafe feline frustrated as opening delayed
Launch of city centre business pushed back
Plans for a cat cafe in Canterbury city centre have been put on paws following an issue with architects.
Pip Harris, 25, had hoped to open her hotly anticipated business just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral at the beginning of autumn.
But a question mark now hangs over when it will launch.
Canterbury Tails will be the city’s first-ever cat cafe, offering customers the chance to enjoy a cup of coffee and a catch-up with friends in the company of more than a dozen moggies.
It is a dream come true for lifelong cat lover Pip, who bought the freehold on a huge four-floor building in Mercery Lane with her life savings and help from family members.
News of the cat cafe sparked a buzz online when it broke in July, with many keen to visit and pleased to see a new venture launching after a challenging year for the high street.
But an issue with architects has left the project eight months behind schedule.
Pip says she has found a new architect, but that she is awaiting the go-ahead from the council before building work can resume.
She hopes the cafe will launch in 2022.
“It’s all just a waiting game,” she said.
“I have to open as soon as possible.
“Every day I’m not open I’m just bleeding money.
“I just have no idea when that’s going to be yet.”
Pip has lived at her family home in Rochester since leaving university, in a bid to save up to make her dream a reality.
“At one point I had three jobs going,” she told the Gazette in July.
“All my life savings are gone.” The cat cafe will cover the bottom two floors of the 2,000 sq ft premises, while the upper two are to be converted into a flat which the cats can access at all times.
The building will be fronted by a shop, which will offer a range of cat-related merchandise.
Pip had initially aimed to move in by her 26th birthday which she is celebrating at the end of this week, but is still living with her family while building work is on hold.
About 18 cats Pip feels are suited to the environment will be coming to the cafe when it launches - including sphynx, maine coon, ragdoll, oriental and Siamese.
For the latest news on the project, visit Canterbury Tails Cat Cafe’s Facebook page.