June 7, 2023

The pouring, petting and purring at The Cattitude Cafe officially will begin July 15.

Owner Heather Wendlandt said this week she has her staff in place, has created the menu and will select the cafe’s resident cat June 19. That feline already has been named Darla in memory of Wendlandt’s best friend of 30 years, who died before seeing Wendlandt’s dream become reality.

“It’s my way of honoring her. I’ve been planning this for over a year, and she was there in the beginning with me for support,” Wendlandt said. “The fact she never got to be there for opening really hurts.”

The Cattitude Cafe’s exterior signage went up late last week. It is in the Johnson Building at 11th Street and Second Avenue, on the main floor’s northeast corner.

Interior construction is continuing. The Cattitude Cafe will have two areas, one cat-free and the other accessible for a small fee, giving patrons a chance to interact with the cats who will join Darla next month. The cat room will have windows on two sides. That way they can bask in the sun.

“Of course, we have plenty of cat towers, cat beds and a bunch of cat toys in the main area where customers go as well,” Wendlandt said. “The cat-support room, it’s almost like a bedroom for the cats. They’ll have access through kitty doors, litter boxes, food dishes, water dishes, a couple of beds if they want to be away from people.”

Wendlandt has hired a staff of about 25 full- and part-time employees, including management. Sara Wendlandt will serve as kitchen manager. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, she has been in the service industry for 20 years and has worked in kitchens both here and in Minnesota.

The Cattitude Cafe will offer coffee, lattes, beer, wine and a light food menu focused on breakfast and lunch. The menu will include salads and sandwiches, and Wendlandt predicts her cafe will become known for its charcuterie boards. The charcuterie board offered for teatime will include light triangle sandwiches, for example. The breakfast bagel board will feed four and offer toppings such as egg and cheese, avocado, and strawberry cream cheese topped with fruit.

“I’m really excited for that one,” Wendlandt said.

Wendlandt’s construction team, Reynolds Construction Management Services, has been amazing, she said, and the cafe’s interior is coming together the way she wanted it to. She chose neutral tones for the dining area while the cat room will be decorated in pink and white accented with gray.

The cats that join Darla will come from the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society. SFAHS staff have selected the initial cats, which will be available for adoption, and are socializing them so they are comfortable together. The cafe will always have a minimum of 15 cats.

Reservations for time spent in the cat room will open July 8, one week before the official opening. Wendlandt urges people to consider making a reservation, particularly in The Cattitude Cafe’s early days. Reservations can be made on the cafe’s Facebook page or at thecattitudecatcafe.com, which will be activated soon.

The cafe will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The cat room will open at 7 a.m. daily.