Long Haul Ahead for Boston’s First Cat Cafe

Boston will get a cat cafe, but a timeline for opening is still up in the air and a bit out of the hands of the force behind the feline-focused spot. Diane Kelly has been working towards opening PURR, her cat cafe concept, for quite some time now and has tapped into her more than 1,300 followers on Facebook for support.

Kelly has officially signed a lease for a space for PURR, but due to the zoning hurdles she now faces, she is holding off on disclosing the location. She has hired an architect and designer to develop floor plans and then will apply for a permit and file information with the City of Boston to seek approval.

Once Kelly receives zoning approval, the cafe will require some construction and buildout. In the meantime, Kelly told Eater she will be working on "a Crowdfunding campaign; website development; producing merchandise; a contractual agreement with the rescue group that PURR will be working with; finding a restaurant to partner with; completing setting up the C Corporation; and hiring a team to work at PURR."

Bottom line: stay tuned for more as Kelly works to solidify plans over the next four to six months.

• A Cat Cafe Is Definitely Coming to Boston, and You'll Know Where Soon [EBOS]