Bastet Cafe, the first cat cafe in Craiova
Bastet Cafe, the first cat cafe in Craiova, opened its doors at the end of last week. In a welcoming house, on General Dragalina Street 48, you are welcomed in a relaxing atmosphere, with jazz rhythms, with coffee, tea and beer, in an outstanding company: the one of the cats that reside here until now.
"I have had this idea since I was in my first year of college, that's about four or five years ago, I think. I saw the news about all the cafes with cats, where it started, that we also have in Cluj, Timisoara, Bucharest, and I said to myself that it would be nice to have something like this in Craiova. I made the decision in the summer of 2019 and since then I have been working on this project”, said Arina Păvălan, who had the idea for this café.
Cats at Bastet Cafe are abandoned or rescued cats, because this is the idea that this cafe is going for. There are cats with sadder stories, who have been left behind or hurt and which no one wants. If someone gets attached to a cat, they can adopt it. But not so easy, because there is a need for closer discussions, head to toe, for the wishers to prove that they are worthy of the desired cat.
Until now, at the Bastet Café reside Mimi, the old girl of the place, who is not to be adopted, Ganesh, Arthur, Nera and Joker, a little girl who, at the time of the opening, was visiting the vet.
Bastet Cafe is not only a niche cafe, inspired by the genre cafes of other cities, but also a place of therapy and relaxation, a place where those who cannot have animals at home or those who want an oasis of peace can find it here.
The new cafe brings, for the first time in Craiova, the concept of "waiting coffee". What does that mean, exactly?
“The concept of waiting coffee was also borrowed, but I do not think there is a cafe in Craiova that has this concept. How does it work? If you feel good at Bastet Cafe, you pay for two coffees, and one of them will be waiting for the people who, maybe, can't afford and want a coffee”, explained Arina Păvălan.
"It is a new concept and we should encourage new things and the development of Craiova. I see it as a development. I could only make myself a bar, but I wanted it to be something new, to improve the city, from my point of view”, concluded Arina.
The intimate setting, like the living room at home, is created by the welcoming decorations, the warm colors and the specific "noises": the gentle caterwaul that invite you to enter and stay. A place like Bastet Cafe is born out of love for animals and people alike, so the gates of this house will definitely remain open for a long time.
So, between 9 AM and 9 PM, Bastet Cafe is waiting for you with the most beautiful and warm feelings, and in the summer, with a bolder plan: with a quiet terrace, in the quiet area of houses of the city, but with the same kindness that could be found since the opening.
Photos: discoverdolj.ro, facebook.com/bastetcaffe