Orlando Cat Café Franchise · Since 2016
A place people love. A purpose you can build around.
A full-service café, a calm lounge of adoptable cats, and a local shelter partner, all under one roof. Bring Orlando Cat Café to your community.
- Since 2016Original café operating in Clermont, FL
- 3,700+Cats adopted through our flagship café
- ~28 daysOf training at our Clermont café
- $425K–$660KEstimated initial investment
As seen in
- Newsweek
- FOX 35
- Spectrum News 13
- News 6
- Orlando Magazine
- Orlando Business Journal
- Franchise Times
- Entrepreneur
- Style Magazine
- Modern Cat
- Pets+
Why Orlando Cat Café
Do you love cats? Do you love coffee? Then you’ve found the purrfect place.
What makes this model different from a coffee shop, and from a typical cat café.
A real café, not a snack bar
Keeping the cats in their own separate Play/Adoption Area lets the café run a full kitchen: espresso, breakfast sandwiches, panini and pastries. It serves every guest, even those who never book the lounge.
More than one way to earn
Café sales, timed lounge visits, events and retail. Plus, every adoption fee goes right back to your shelter partner to help the next cat.
A mission guests feel
Every cat in the lounge is waiting for a home through an exclusive partnership with a local shelter. Guests come back to check on a favorite, and some leave with one.
Built around the experience
Our systems come from running our original café since 2016, from the café to the cat lounge.
Training for both cats and coffee
About 28 days in Clermont covering cat lounge and café operations, plus a 512-page operations manual.
Help finding your shelter partner
We’ll help you find, approach and build a relationship with a shelter in your community.
The experience you’ll offer
An experience built to bring guests back
Guests come for the coffee, stay for the cats and return to check on their favorites. That mix of everyday café traffic and booked lounge visits is the heart of the model.
- #3Best Cat Café in the U.S.Newsweek Readers’ Choice, 2025
- Sept
8“Orlando Cat Café Day”Proclaimed by Lake County, 2026 - ★Social Impact Business of the YearWomElle Awards, 2026
Also recognizedNominee · Best Places to Work, Orlando Business Journal 2026#56 · Top 100 Franchise Influencers, FranchiseVoice 2026 (founder Sandra Cagan)
Google reviews
What guests are saying
Why people love us
“I bring my grandson there just to hang out, sip a latte and visit the kitties. Great place to adopt. Remember, you save a life by adopting, she actually saved me.”
“What got me was the CATS… you can spend an hour in a room full of cats. Each one is very much adoptable and have their own personalities. The people working there were very much in tune with the cats. The time spent there was definitely therapeutic.”
“Super cute cats and very friendly and helpful staff! We got ourselves a coffee and headed into the cat play area to hang out with the kitties. All the cats are adoptable and they were so friendly and sweet. Great place to hang out and de-stress by playing with cute animals and good place to go if you’re looking to adopt.”
“Loved it. All the workers were so friendly and polite, not to mention the adorable kittens. The coffee was amazing and the prices were very reasonable! I think the cat café is such a good idea to get cats adopted.”
A few of our furry friends at the cat café.
Visit the original
Come as a guest before you come as an owner
The best introduction to the experience of owning your own Orlando Cat Café is to spend an hour with us. Let us buy you a coffee, experience the cat lounge and watch the magic happen.
- Where
- 532 Cagan Park Ave., Clermont, FL 34714
- Hours
- See orlandocatcafe.com for current café and lounge hours
Saving cats, close to home
Every café saves cats in its own community
Each Orlando Cat Café partners with a shelter in its own town. When a cat goes home from the lounge, a spot opens at that shelter for the next one.
The need, nationwide (2025)
What one café has done
National figures: ASPCA, from Shelter Animals Count 2025 data. Café figures: Orlando Cat Café, our flagship in Clermont, Florida, and SPCA Florida.
The shelter chooses
Your local shelter partner picks cats who are ready for homes and brings them to the lounge.
Cats meet their people
Out of a kennel and into a calm room, cats relax and show their personalities to every guest who visits.
A spot opens up
Every adoption frees space at the shelter for another cat, and the adoption fee helps fund its care.
Adoption days at the cat café.
Our family story
A family-founded café, welcoming guests since 2016
Sandra Cagan first came across the cat café idea in late 2014 and couldn’t stop thinking about it. With a background in property development and management through her family’s firm, she opened Orlando Cat Café in Clermont in September 2016.
In 2020, Suzanne and Matthias Bernal joined, and their company, Minch Coffee, has run the café side ever since. The partners formed the franchise company in 2024 to teach the model to new owners.
Sandra Cagan
Has led Orlando Cat Café since before it opened in 2016. Senior VP of Cagan Management Group since 2000.
Jeffrey Cagan
President of Cagan Management Group in Clermont since 1974.
Suzanne Bernal
Runs Minch Coffee, the café operation inside Orlando Cat Café, since 2020.
Matthias Bernal
Runs Minch Coffee, the café operation inside Orlando Cat Café, since 2020.
Meet the founders
How a location works
Designed with purpose, run with care
Whose cats are these?
They belong to the shelter partner. An approved local shelter places the cats in the lounge, your café handles adoptions on the shelter’s behalf, and adoption fees go straight back into caring for more cats. You provide the room, the daily care routines and the visitors. You never own or sell a cat.
How does it earn?
Café food and drink, timed lounge admissions, special events and retail. The café serves guests in the café as well as those who choose to enter the Cat Play/Adoption Lounge.
Are the cats and café together?
Side by side, in separate rooms. A viewing window connects the two, so the café can run a full kitchen and the lounge stays calm for the cats.
Who runs it?
The franchise owner, with three key roles: a full-time Designated Manager (which can be the owner), a Lead Vet Tech who supervises the lounge and a Lead Barista who runs the café.
- Typical space
- 2,600–3,000 sq ft
- Time to open
- 12–18 months
- Territory
- At least 150,000 people
- Term
- 10 years + two 5-year renewals
Support and training
Support you can see in writing
Everything below is described in Item 11 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Any related fees are detailed in the FDD.
Before you open
Site, lease and territory
- Site reviewA written decision on each proposed site, based on demographics, traffic, neighborhood, competition and parking. On-site visits are available.
- Lease negotiation helpWe help negotiate your lease, which must include certain terms we require.
- A defined territoryCovering at least 150,000 people. See Item 12 of the FDD for its terms.
- Buildout plansPlans and specifications for layout, fixtures, equipment and signs, plus approved supplier lists.
Before you open
Your shelter partner
- Introductions and coordinationWe help you approach and build a relationship with a local shelter.
Before you open
Training in Clermont
About 28 days at our café, in two phases. You cover travel, lodging and wages.
Ongoing
Running the business
- Operations manualA 512-page online manual covering the café and the lounge.
- Ongoing guidanceAdvice on operations, pricing, marketing, bookkeeping and staff training.
- Brand marketingA brand development fund for system-wide marketing, plus local marketing guidelines.
- Fees disclosedRoyalty, brand fund, local advertising and technology fees are listed in the investment section.
Investment
Clear numbers from the start
Estimated initial investment
$425,000 to $660,000
Your total depends on your site, market and buildout. Leasehold improvements are the largest cost. We don’t offer financing directly, but many franchise owners use SBA loans, retirement-fund rollovers or partners, and we’re happy to talk through options on your intro call.
Figures from Items 5, 6 and 7 of our Franchise Disclosure Document issued April 24, 2025.
Startup
Ongoing
Term
Who we’re looking for
The people we hope to hear from
No café or animal experience? No problem. What matters most is caring about doing it well. Some owners run the café day to day, and others hire a great manager and lead from a step back.
- You love hospitality
You notice when a room feels welcoming, and want to create that feeling every day.
- You care about animals, realistically
You’re ready for cleaning routines, health protocols and following your shelter partner’s lead.
- You lead people well
You can hire, train and keep a team for two very different rooms.
- You’re rooted in your community
You have local relationships, or the drive to build them with shelters and neighbors.
- You have the resources, or a partner who does
At least $125,000 in liquid capital and the ability to fund the investment above. Don’t have it all yourself? Many owners partner with an investor or co-owner.
Where we’re opening
We want to open in your town
More than 100 territories are open nationwide, and we’re focused on fast-growing cities across the Southeast and Texas. If one of them is home, let’s talk.
Type a city to see if it’s a target market.
Every territory covers at least 150,000 people, and big metros like Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston have room for several.
A café and adoption lounge in one is still rare. You’d be introducing a new kind of gathering place to your community.
Owners who join now get first choice of neighborhoods and sites in the markets they want.
Florida
7 target markets- Clermont: our original café
- Tampa
- St. Petersburg
- Jacksonville
- Miami
- Fort Lauderdale
- Sarasota
- The Villages
Texas
5 target markets- Frisco: coming soon
- Dallas
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Austin
Georgia
5 target markets- Atlanta
- Savannah
- Augusta
- Columbus
- Macon
North Carolina
5 target markets- Charlotte
- Raleigh
- Durham
- Greensboro
- Winston-Salem
South Carolina
5 target markets- Charleston
- Greenville
- Columbia
- Myrtle Beach
- Spartanburg
Tennessee
3 target markets- Nashville
- Knoxville
- Memphis
Alabama
4 target markets- Birmingham
- Huntsville
- Mobile
- Montgomery
Mississippi
5 target markets- Jackson
- Gulfport
- Biloxi
- Hattiesburg
- Tupelo
Arkansas
2 target markets- Little Rock
- Texarkana
Don’t see your town?
That’s not a no. These are the markets we’re prioritizing, not the only ones we’ll consider. If you know your community and want to bring Orlando Cat Café to it, tell us where.
Target markets and territory availability change as territories are awarded. Listing a market is not an offer to sell a franchise there.
Next steps
Your path to ownership
Reach out
Send the inquiry form. We reply within 2 business days.
Introductory call
Your goals, your market, your timeline and your questions.
Candidate profile
If it looks promising on both sides, a short profile including your financial background.
Review the FDD
You’ll have it at least 14 days before signing anything or paying us anything. We encourage review with an attorney and an accountant.
Make it official
If we both agree it’s a good fit, we’ll send the franchise agreement for you to review.
FAQ
Questions owners ask first
Don’t see yours? Ask it in your inquiry.
Do I need café or animal experience?
No prior industry experience is required. Your key people complete our training in Clermont, and hiring people with café or animal-care backgrounds helps.
Who owns the cats?
Your approved shelter partner. It places the cats, your café handles adoptions on its behalf, and adoption fees help fund its rescue work. Your business earns from café sales, lounge admissions, events and retail.
How do I find a shelter partner?
We help you identify, approach and build a relationship with a local shelter in your community, and we stay with you through the process.
How long until I open?
We estimate 12 to 18 months from signing, covering site search, a shelter agreement, buildout and training. A typical location is about 2,600 to 3,000 square feet, leased.
How much do I need to invest?
The estimated initial investment is $425,000 to $660,000, and we require at least $125,000 in liquid capital. See the investment section. We don’t offer financing directly, but many owners use SBA loans, retirement-fund rollovers or partners.
How involved do I need to be?
That’s up to you. Some owners run the café themselves. Others hire a full-time Designated Manager to handle day-to-day operations while they focus on the bigger picture. Our training and support work for both.
Where are you looking to open locations?
We’re looking for owners in fast-growing cities across the Southeast and Texas, including Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Charleston, Birmingham, Dallas, Houston and Austin. More than 100 territories are open nationwide, so if your city isn’t listed, we’d still like to hear from you. See target markets.
News and stories
People are talking about Orlando Cat Café
The latest from our blog: press, podcasts and stories about the café and the franchise.
Meet the cat café ready to pounce on growth
A profile of the model behind the café: coffee, adoptable cats and shelter partnerships, and where the franchise is headed.
Read the story →
Cats pick their people (Ep. 675)
Sandra Cagan talks about how the café started, how it runs day to day and what the franchise includes.
Listen to the episode →
A franchise built around animal welfare
How pairing a coffee shop with shelter-partnered adoptions makes this franchise different.
Read more →In the press
- Franchise Times · Sep 2026Meet the new cat café ready to pounce on franchise growth
- Ever After in the Woods · Oct 2026This charming Florida cat café lets you sip lattes while surrounded by adorable adoptable cats
- Newsweek · 2025Best Cat Café: Readers’ Choice, ranked #3 in the U.S.
- Dallas Innovates · Dec 2025A new cat café will be brewing and purring in North Texas in 2026
- News 6 · ClickOrlando · Jan 2025‘Fur’-anchise opportunity: Orlando Cat Café to open locations across the U.S.
- Orlando Magazine · Sep 2024Orlando’s cat cafés: helping cats and communities thrive
- Spectrum News 13 · Jun 20225 things to know about the Orlando Cat Café
Next step
See if we’re a fit
Tell us a little about yourself and where you’d like to open. It only takes a few minutes, and there’s no obligation.
Come meet the cats at our original café.
- Complete the short inquiry form.
- We reply within 2 business days.
- If we both want to continue, we set up a call.
Prefer to talk? Call (352) 805-8880.
This page is for information only and is not an offer to sell a franchise. We offer franchises only through our Franchise Disclosure Document. Some states regulate the offer and sale of franchises, and we will not offer a franchise in those states until we have met their registration or exemption requirements.
Figures are from our Franchise Disclosure Document issued April 24, 2025, except minimum liquid capital, which is a company requirement. © 2026 Orlando Cat Cafe Franchising LLC.