ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – A planned cat café in Atlantic City has announced a partnership with a local rescue organization that will provide adoptable cats when the business opens.
RipVanWhisker Cat Café said Friends of Giuseppe, a Pleasantville-based nonprofit focused on homeless cats, will serve as its rescue partner. The organization will connect the future café with cats that are candidates for adoption.
- Friends of Giuseppe will provide adoptable rescue cats for the future Atlantic City café.
- RipVanWhisker plans to combine rescue-cat visits with coffee, tea, alcohol-free mocktails and community events.
- The café is still being built, and no opening date was announced in Wednesday’s announcement.
Friends of Giuseppe Joins Atlantic City Cat Café Project
Friends of Giuseppe works with homeless cats through trap-neuter-return, commonly known as TNR, along with care and adoption efforts. The organization evaluates cats to determine whether returning them to their environment or pursuing adoption is the better option, according to RipVanWhisker.
“We’re building the café. They’re helping us fill it with second chances,” Washburn said in announcing the partnership.
The arrangement means some cats determined to be suitable for adoption will have another setting where they can meet prospective owners. RipVanWhisker plans to create dedicated areas where visitors can spend time with the rescue cats.
“We’ve been talking about what RipVanWhisker could become for a long time,” Washburn said. “Now we’re starting to see the pieces come together. We have a location. We have a community behind us. We have a rescue partner. And we’re building the space that will eventually bring cats and people together.”
The business describes the project as a family-friendly destination rather than solely a traditional coffee shop. Plans call for specialty coffee, teas and handcrafted alcohol-free mocktails alongside cat visits, adoption opportunities and community events.
Café Buildout Continues Ahead of Opening
RipVanWhisker said work is continuing on its future café space as it moves toward an eventual grand opening. The company has also launched an updated website outlining the project and its partnership with Friends of Giuseppe.
A fundraising effort called the Founding Human campaign is also underway. RipVanWhisker said it will offer 250 spots to supporters, with proceeds helping pay for renovations, furnishings, equipment and cat lounge areas.
“The Founding Human campaign isn’t just about raising money to open a business,” Washburn said. “It’s about giving people an opportunity to say, ‘I was there before the doors opened. I helped build it.’”
Supporters participating in the campaign are promised a limited-edition shirt and pin, recognition inside the future café, project updates and opening-week recognition.
RipVanWhisker has also joined the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce as preparations continue. The company did not provide a specific opening date in its announcement.
“Every step gets us closer,” Washburn said. “The location made it real. The buildout makes it real. This partnership makes it real.”
Friends of Giuseppe will provide cats for the café.
The Pleasantville nonprofit will serve as RipVanWhisker’s rescue partner and connect adoptable cats with the future Atlantic City location.
RipVanWhisker is still preparing to open.
The café is undergoing its buildout, and the announcement did not provide a specific grand opening date.
The café will offer more than cat visits.
Plans include specialty coffee, tea, alcohol-free mocktails, community events and opportunities for visitors to meet cats available for adoption.