Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Cedar.
Deborah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
During the pandemic my 9 year old daughter & I traveled to Miami & visited the cat cafes there. We both loved it & she said that she wished there was one in our town of DeLand. She drew pictures of what her cat cafe would look like and that led to the actual planning of it. We approached a local entrepreneurial family that opened the local coffee shop in town called Trilogy Coffee to see if they would be interested in a partnership. Together we renovated an old restaurant & separated the building in half. One side is the cafe a.k.a. Trilogy Kitchen, the other side is the cat adoption lounge. The DeLand Cat Cafe was opened in June 2023 & since then we have had 337 adoptions! We work with a local animal shelter called New Hope as well as Halifax Humane Society. We also work with our local trappers. All of the cats are fixed, vaccinated, microchipped, tested for Feline AIDS & Feline Leukemia. We are a Fear Free Shelter, that means we do not have any cages or kennels of any kind. Our space is similar to a living room in a house where our cats can free roam. They learn to socialize with our other cats. By the time they are adopted, they are not scared, which means that they won’t be returned.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It took us two years to renovate our building and get it up to code. It was very difficult but we did it. We separated the building into two separate areas each with it’s own a/c, own entrances, etc… Although it was a lot of work, it was well worth it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our cats are all strays, they are found outside. Many of them have been dumped, others where born outside & never had a home. Sometimes we have cats that were surrendered by their owners. We are proud to also get cats that are having trouble in traditional shelters, those that do not like being in kennels & are at risk of being euthanized.
What sets us apart is our cafe a.k.a. Trilogy Kitchen, because they are an actual restaurant that has amazing breakfast, lunch & the best coffee in town. Most cat cafes do not serve food & are not partnered with an actual restaurant. We also have an outside patio that is dog friendly.
We offer birthday parties that are very affordable & popular with kids. We have had private events for the local Girl Scouts & for local nursing home outings.
We were awarded the “Best of Florida” recognition for Best Animal Shelter in 2024.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The Cass family that own Trilogy Coffee & Trilogy Kitchen, because without them this idea would have just stayed as an idea. Our biggest fan has been the City of DeLand because they didn’t say no to a crazy & unfamiliar business idea. There hasn’t been a lot of interest from big corporations to invest in our town, so small businesses are very much supported by local officials. Our building was a former restaurant but it needed to be renovated & brought up to code, not many wanted to do that so they were thrilled when we did it. Also, the community at large & students from Stetson University have helped us keep our doors open. Volusia County Animal Services, New Hope Animal Shelter, Halifax Humane Society & the smaller rescues as well as local trappers have supported us as well.
Pricing:
- $11 for adults
- $8 for kids
- $200 for birthday parties
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.delandcatcafe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delandcatcafe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delandcatcafe
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@delandcatcafe
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@delandcatcafe
