Espurresso Cat Cafe is the perfect spot for study breaks

I wrote this article for my multimedia reporting class; it was also published in the University Daily Kansan arts and culture section. I had never profiled a business before writing this article, but it was a terrific opportunity to grow as a writer. Because the cat cafe isn’t a new business, I wanted to make sure that I wrote this article with the angle of why students should visit the cafe now, so I wrote it in the context of how the cafe can help students during finals week. After profiling Espurresso Cat Cafe, I feel more confident in my ability to make my articles timely and interesting for my audience.

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Cat lovers and dog lovers all need to decompress as finals week approaches and Espurresso Cat Cafe is the place to go. 

Espurresso Cat Cafe is a coffee shop and small animal shelter open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Massachusetts Street. However, the cafe is not just for cat lovers as it keeps the cats and the coffee separate.

Co-owner Brittanie Sinisgalli said she has seen the cats at the cafe improve the moods of many customers.

“It’s certainly a serotonin boost. People come in here and leave happier,” Sinisgalli said. “Even folks that don’t go in to interact with the cats, just sitting and watching can kind of raise your morale a little bit.”

The cat cafe collaborates with the Lawrence Humane Society to offer adoptable cats. Customers can adopt cats directly at the cafe or simply enjoy spending time with them during their visit. 

Megan Carver, a junior microbiology major, said she frequently visits Espurresso Cat Cafe. 

“I like to go sometimes and just get a drink or snack and watch the cats playing from the cafe area. It’s a great way to calm one’s mind and take a break from the busy world of school,” Carver said. “They also have many books and a few couches if you do not want to go in with the cats.”

The cafe has plenty of seating and offers many unique drinks such as lavender lemonade.

Macy Wittler, a freshman business major, recently visited the cat cafe and ordered the Cinnamon Pawp Tart.

“The cafe is really relaxing just getting to pet cats for an hour. Some of the cats were shy, but they did eventually come out,” Wittler said. “I absolutely would recommend. The cats were adorable, the snack was delicious and the atmosphere was really cool.”

According to the Cornell University Feline Health Center, a study that used university students as subjects found that after ten minutes of petting cats and dogs, their cortisol — the body’s main stress hormone — levels decreased. 

Espurresso Cat Cafe was opened in May 2023 by Brittanie Sinisgalli and Mary Costello. Sinisgalli said that her baking experience allows her to handle the bakery and coffee shop while Costello’s experience working with the Lawrence Humane Society and fostering cats allows her to manage the cats at the cafe.

The cats’ home, or the purrlor as the cafe has named it, is a room with plexiglass walls separated from the coffee shop. Customers can spend 30 minutes in the purrlor for $10 per person, or an hour for $15 per person. Brittanie Sinisgalli said that the cafe does try to accommodate walk-ins for the purrlor, but recommends that customers make a reservation online before their visit.