One storefront along the stretch of Indianola Avenue between North Broadway and Weber Road was darker than usual in the month of July.

Eat, Purr, Love – Clintonville’s cat cafe located at 3041 Indianola Ave. – was closed for the month to navigate a transition in ownership.

The cafe’s original owner, Chrissy Kuras, was quick to sit down with Columbus Humane when she found out she would be moving out of state. All cats in the cafe come from their shelter, so it was a “no brainer” for them to take over operations, said CH Director of Communications Kerry Shaw.

The folks at Columbus Humane used the month of July mostly to build up cafe staff, as Kuras did a lot more work than a typical full-time employee. They were searching for people with experience ranging from customer service and retail to cat care. The month they were closed was all about “finding the right mix of staff,” Shaw says.

July still was “business as usual for the cats” says Eat, Purr, Love manager Emma Walsh. There were still six to seven cats living in the cafe during that month, receiving their usual care from Columbus Humane employees while staff was hired and requests from hopeful customers were coming through online.

“There was a lot of support and momentum coming from the community,” Shaw said of their monthlong hiatus.

Sure enough, on Aug. 1, staff and customers alike were ready to hit the ground running. Walsh said most of their reservations were full on that Wednesday they reopened, and in the first week, six of their cats were adopted.

The cafe usually houses around 12 cats, who are selected by Columbus Humane based on personality. If a cat thrives in the more social areas of the shelter, staff members begin the process of introducing the cats to Eat, Purr, Love. After some time in their more secluded “cat condo,” they hopefully will start adapting to the more populated areas of the café and find the right person to go home with.

Walsh said cats younger than 3 years are typically adopted after about two weeks, while those older than 3 years may stay for three weeks to a month. While saying goodbye is hard, Walsh said “it’s more gratifying knowing you’ve made that cat happy.”

During the year since first opening, including the recent month, the total number of adoptions has reached 314 — a figure that makes up about 10 percent of Columbus Humane’s adoption totals. Ever since reopening, EPL has had 12 completed adoptions with four pending, a sign of the community’s excitement to be allowed back in.

Eat, Purr, Love visits aren’t only for people looking to adopt.

The cafe often attracts tourists looking for a fun activity on a visit to Clintonville, and it has been host to a few private events in the past such as like birthday and even bachelorette parties. According to Walsh, four people have even gotten engaged during visits to Eat, Purr, Love.

Shaw said they’re “looking to expand a lot of things in the next year.” They hope to reintroduce cat yoga, a painting with cats class and maybe even a wine night.

For up to date information, visit the Eat, Purr, Love Facebook page and web site: eatpurrlovecatcafe.com.

As staff is built up, they also hope to expand their hours, particularly on the weekend. Right now, the cafe is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mondays and Tuesdays are quiet days for the kitties.

Walk-ins are welcome when space allows, but the best way to confirm there will be space is making a reservation at eatpurrlovecatcafe.com. Twelve people are allowed into the cat lounge at a time.

An hour with the cats costs $10, and there are also refreshments – made offsite – available for purchase.