Photo of Tom's Cat Cafe in Seoul courtesy feline_dacat va Flickr

Being a cat lover in Portland just got a million times better. Kristen Castillo, owner of the much-anticipated Purringtons Cat Lounge, announced yesterday that she has signed a three-year lease on NE MLK Boulevard. This will be one of the first cat cafes to open in North America.

Castillo tells Eater the cafe/adoption center/cat-petting paradise will be split into two spaces. One side will serve as the lounge area for humans, with large windows looking onto the other side where the cats hang out. For an hourly rate, up to 20 people at a time can head into the kitty side to get some "purr-therapy," as Castillo calls it. There will be up to 10 hand-picked friendly, adoptable cats calling Purringtons home.

As far as the menu goes, Castillo is still nailing down the final options. She says, "We will be offering my husband Sergio's famous salsa and chips, and I have been working on perfecting delicious flavor-infused cashew cheeses for our vegan customers." But probably most exciting is the possibility of "cat themed food product suggestions." Castillo says, "If there is something locally out there that we should know about? Let us know." (House roasted Meow Mix? Tuna tartare?) She's still scouting out bakeries to provide sweet and savory goods, but overall the cafe will be serving "small, simple—but delicious—plates." Beverages will stay in the local realm with three beer taps reserved for craft brews, Oregon wines by the glass, and java coming in from Extracto Coffee Roasters located on Killingsworth Street.

The Castillos are cat owners themselves: "We get so much enjoyment from these furry babies"— they have three, Gigi, Ace, and Ollie— "that [the cafe] just seems like a natural transition at this point in life." And they hope to be open for business by this December.

· Purringtons Cat Lounge One Step Closer to Opening in Northeast Portland [OL]

· All Purringtons Cat Lounge Coverage [-EPDX-]