Get your pettin’ hand ready, because here comes America’s first official dog cafe, landing next month just south of Silver Lake. Called simply The Dog Cafe, the new space will arrive on April 7 to 240 N. Virgil Avenue, inside a strip mall right at the intersection of Silver Lake Boulevard and Beverly.

The idea of The Dog Cafe is to provide a fun, casual atmosphere for people to interact with adoptable dogs, all while drinking coffee and tea. Cafe owner Sarah Wolfgang (who in 2014 started an Indiegogo campaign to bring the cafe to life) is working closely with the South L.A. Animal Shelter and other local organizations. The plan is to bring the dogs in on a rotating basis, once they’ve been cleared as friendly and comfortable enough for the presumably large crowds.

The beverages themselves will be served from an adjacent space for obvious health and safety reasons, but customers will be able to take those drinks into the doggy hangout area once they’ve been prepared. You’ll ultimately be able to get pourover coffee and espresso drinks (using Grounds & Hounds Coffee, naturally), as well as lemonades and brewed and iced teas. To help offset the cost of the operation, The Dog Cafe charges a flat $10 entrance fee, which does come with one free beverage.

Of course this isn’t the first time we’ve seen animal cafes pop up with the sole purpose of pairing rescues with their potential adoptees. Chinatown enjoyed a Catfe (that’s cat cafe) run itself back in 2014, with loads of people showing up and waiting in line for a chance to snuggle the animals while they sipped on a few drinks.

Similarly, you’ll want to make sure you grab a reservation for The Dog Cafe, as they’re expected to fill up fast. Prior to the April 7 arrival, the shop will be keeping some walk-in only soft-opening hours, but if you want to make sure you’re able to secure your own personal 55-minute dog party, you’ll want to hold a space for yourself online.

The Dog Cafe

240 N. Virgil, Unit 13

Los Angeles, CA