First Look: Mauhaus Cat Cafe & Lounge in Maplewood

St. Louis cat lovers have a new favorite hangout. Mauhaus Cat Cafe & Lounge opens tomorrow, Nov. 12, at 3101 Sutton Blvd., in Maplewood. As Sauce reported last year, the 1,500-square-foot space will serve coffee, tea and pastries with international influences. Co-owners Dana Huth and Ben Triola worked with Maplewood architecture firm ADG to create a dual-purpose space that was safe for cats on one side and safe for food preparation and consumption on the other.

Food and drinks will be ordered in a humans-only section with four bar seats, but diners can bring their food into the lounge through a vestibule built between the two spaces. People must walk into the vestibule and close the door behind them before entering the lounge.

The menu features handheld treats like miniature cupcakes, vegan hummus and babka that can be paired with coffee drinks made with nearby La Cosecha Coffee Roasters or even catnip tea. “The idea is to have the food in one hand, and be petting a cat with the other,” said Mauhaus pastry chef Alyssa Bennett.

Mauhaus provides temporary homes for 13 adoptable cats from Tenth Life Cat Rescue, a St. Louis-based shelter and adoption center, and also houses two resident cats. Customers who can’t get enough snuggles with a particular cat, they can apply through Tenth Life to start the adoption process.

Since the cat lounge can only accommodate 20 people at a time, customers are encouraged to make online reservations to play in the lounge; there is a $10 deposit to reserve a time slot, which can be used as a credit for food, drinks and merchandise. There is no charge for walk-ins.

Mauhaus will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Here’s what to expect from St. Louis’ first cat cafe: