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Lower East Side darling Meow Parlour, the famous cat cafe where New Yorkers get to play with adoptable cats while sipping coffee and munching on sweets, has finally reopened following an 18-month-long, pandemic-fueled closure.
Now in "soft relaunch mode," the space at 46 Hester Street is welcoming guests with reservations on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am through 7pm. You can schedule your visit on the official website right here.
But, there's more: According to Bowery Boogie, Meow Parlour is actually expanding thanks to an infusion of cash earned by co-founder Christina Ha, who made $100,000 by winning the Petco Love Stories contest.
The site reports that Ha "shared a story about her newly adopted cat, Skooty, who strengthened the bond with her dad during the pandemic." While living at home with her parents during the shutdown, explains Ha, Skooty inspired all of them to "make 8,000 masks for essential workers."
The grand prize will allow Ha to expand Meow Parlour to the second floor, specifically utilizing the additional space as an office, for "animal intake, pick-up and drop-off for more new cats and their volunteer fosters [and] veterinary check-ups," among other efforts.
Expectedly, the reopening announcement was met with much fanfare on Instagram, with folks from all over the United States expressing their joy at being able to pet some kittens once more.
"Thank you for hanging in there!," @karenforcats wrote on the platform. "Your place is so important." We, of course, couldn't agree with that more.