The former Cafe Fondue in Merrillville may soon be home to a cat cafe, a place where people can dine while watching cats play in a separate room, interact with the felines afterward, and perhaps adopt one.
“The real mission is to get cats into the homes,” said Linda Ramos, who received approval from the Merrillville Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday to open a cat cafe at 281 W. 80th Place.
“We hope to adopt about 150 cats in the first year,” she said.
Ramos said she plans to close on the space by the end of June.
“There are about 140 cat cafes in the U.S. In all my research, not one has closed, not even during the pandemic,” she said.
Ramos said there would be a wall separating the cafe area, where sandwiches, pastries and other food items would be served, and a cat lounge area.
Merrillville Planning and Building director Sheila Shine said there would be eight cats at a time in the lounge area. There will be windows so those in the dining area can watch the cats. The cafe will seat 14 customers. Up to 15 individuals could go into the cat lounge area at a time and mingle with the pets.
Ramos said no one under the age of 7 would be allowed into this area, and those ages 7 to 12 would need to be accompanied by an adult. An upstairs area would seat up to 30 individuals and Ramos said she is considering offering the space for small meetings and special events. The felines would also be visible from the upstairs.
She said all pet food and litter boxes would be outside the viewing area. Ramos said she would partner with one of the humane societies in the Region to obtain the animals, all of which would be up to date on their shots and veterinarian visits.
She said the cafe would be closed on Mondays for deep cleaning and to introduce new cats.
In other matters, the board approved a proposal by owners Joel and Shannon Hill to operate their live-action haunted house at the Ringo’s Golf location, 7611 E. Lincoln Highway, provided they have security on-site.
“I grew the business from a charity started in my garage. We need to find a permanent home for it,” Joel Hill said. His company, Haunted Hills Inc., has been in operation for six years and is currently located in Lake Station.
Marketing director Stefen Hutchins said the attraction would be open from the last weekend in September to the first weekend in November.
Hill said they might open for some special occasions and holidays, such as Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, as well. Hutchins said they would have security on the premise and someone would be directing traffic.
He said there would be no bonfires, camping or tailgating allowed in the parking area.
The BZA approved Francesca Cooley’s petition to operate a day care center at 6049 Broadway, but deferred action for 30 days on proposals for an expansion of the gas station at 6101 Broadway and two temporary modular classrooms at the Indiana Horizon Academy at 9803 Colorado St.
Owner Prince Singh is seeking a variance to encroach on the front yard setback in order to add a convenience store, liquor store and a second-floor office space to the current gas station.
Town Attorney Joseph Svetanoff suggested the matter be deferred to give Singh the opportunity to redesign his plans so that they won’t encroach on the setback.
Svetanoff also recommended the petition for the classrooms be deferred because the name on the petition isn’t the same as the owner on record.
Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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May 27, 2021 at 11:30PM
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Cafe plan built around feline adoptions: Patrons would view cats through windows in former Cafe Fondue location - Chicago Tribune
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