Capawcino Cat Cafe is genuinely one of the happiest places you can visit. Located above Mehedi Mart in Bashundhara, it's the first ever cat cafe in Dhaka. You are immediately greeted with a burst of life upon entering the cafe with its rooftop setup, refreshing decor and paw shaped stepping stones that lead you to the main attraction of the cafe: a cat zone with around 20 cats! Much like some of the rescued felines the cafe cares for, their story to better days too is filled with highs and lows and we caught up with Rahat Rahman, the founder, to uncover it.

"I wanted a place where my cat and its kittens can play in," Rahat stated, as he explained the origins of Capawcino. The software engineering graduate had a cat named Ryzen that had given birth to kittens and the felines were turning out to be a handful for Rahat's family. "Cat cafes have been a concept in Japan for a while now and I wanted to introduce something like this in Bangladesh, not just so that my cats can always have a place to play in but also to show people how amazing cats can be and help them get rid of their fears and also teach them how to raise cats," he added. Rahat had pitched the ideas to numerous investors but unfortunately, he couldn't find anyone who shared his enthusiasm or vision until he stumbled upon a Facebook post of a friend. "My friend Tanimul made a post from his profile expressing how Dhaka needs a pet cafe and his interest in opening one. I had the intention from 2014 and by that time, I had also saved up some money from freelancing so I reached out to him," he explains. Thus, Rahat, Tanimul and two other friends made an investment to open the first ever cat cafe in Dhaka in February 2019. Tragedy struck Rahat's life as Ryzen, his cat of 9 and a half years sadly passed away just before the opening. But life taketh, life giveth and the cafe itself garnered huge attention and also gave Rahat and co the opportunity to rescue more cats and give them shelter. "Business was great, we had 15 cats and served some of the best coffee and waffles in that area. People from all over Dhaka came to visit us," Rahat elaborated.

Photo: Capawcino Cat Café

But the success was short-lived as COVID-19 took over the world. Like many restaurants in the food industry, Capawcino too had to shut down due to financial troubles. "A few of my friends lost their jobs and could no longer pay for upkeep. The lockdown meant that we couldn't do much business either, so it was a tough couple of months," Rahat lamented. I never gave up on the cats though and took care of each and every one of them from my own pocket so that we can survive the lockdown together," he stated. And survive they did. Rahat's refusal to give up paid off as after the lockdown was lifted, Capawcino received new investment. "A close older brother of mine, Sufy Sanawer Hossain Pantho, invested in my initiative and we relaunched in 2021", he described. After a few months of operations in Mirpur, Capawcino opened their new outlet in Bashundhara.

Photo: Capawcino Cat Café

Now with more space for cats and to expand the cafe, Capawcino got a makeover and now looks like the 'purrfect' cat sanctuary. "My wife, Subhi Nusrat Shama did the initial architectural planning and the interior designs were executed by my brother and I. We have also overhauled the menu. While Mirpur only served snacks and coffee, the new outlet has pizza, burgers and Mexican cuisine. We even have new Baristas and high-end coffee machines. I also have a team working that includes Sufy bhai's daughter Ayesha Ariyana with me to look after the operations," Rahat explained. They also have more cats in their roster, each with their own unique personality. There's Luna, Angy (like the meme!), Jon Snow, Panda and Charlie to name a few, you need to come and meet the whole gang! You can even bring your own pets to the hangout!

Photo: Capawcino Cat Café

Of course, the cats need some maintenance and looking after so the cat zone has an entry fee of Tk 200. A portion of the profit is also dedicated to the cats. Rahat and his team are also creating job opportunities with flexible timings for university students in a bid to remove the stigmas attached with working in cafes. "Many of our team members are from NSU, IUB and AIUB and they help create an even more vibrant environment", added Rahat.

Capawcino is singlehandedly reshaping a plethora of norms and making the world a better place for humans and cats alike. They are also a platform that people can reach out to if they ever stumble upon a cat in need, although there are certain protocols to protect the existing line-up. Furthermore, Rahat dedicates some of the revenue to take care of stray cats and dogs in the Bashundhara area. All in all, it is a fascinating and feelgood operation guaranteed to uplift your spirits.