The interior of Whiskers and Soda was designed to give resident cats plenty of room to play, hide and interact with visitors
The purr-fect spot
Cat lovers head over to Whiskers and Soda Cat Cafe right meow
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com
On Garland Road, a specific type of heaven exists. But whether it’s for people or cats is debatable. Either way is fine, though, because Whisker and Soda Cat Cafe is a joyful and serene place that caters to both feline and human.
Founded by cat lovers Caroline and Rob Stovall, the humble spot was certainly made for cat lovers and cats alike. And in the four months since its opening, the cafe has made a big splash in a short time.
“It’s really cool. We’ve been very well-received by the community,” Rob Stovall said during a tour of the venue. And he describes Whiskers and Soda as the first true one of its kind in North Texas.
“This is based on the true Asian and European models,” he said. “There are two others — one in Lewisville and another in North Richland Hills — but they are more like adoption centers without a food and drink cafe environment.”
Whiskers and Soda’s resident kitties are all available for adoption
The cafe sits among a street of automotive repair places, restaurants and thrift shops. Blink and you might miss it, but that’s part of its charm. Whiskers and Soda is a surprise among its long-established neighbors, some with well-worn exteriors.
The refurbished accounting office is a high-tech, trendy spot inside that is thoughtfully constructed with some clever and incredible designing.
The experience begins with a check-in, just like any other day spa or wellness center, because — face it — there isn’t much difference. Cat therapy or a massage will make most people feel better walking out.
Guests are welcomed by a reception area where one can either check in to the cafe or the Griffin Rock cat retreat for boarding. The cafe is membership-based, but non-members can also partake for a check-in fee. It’s important to know that this isn’t a Starbucks-type situation.
Before leaving reception, guests can either take off their shoes or slip on booties over their shoes.
But first, Rob begins the tour with the retreat space. A hallway of 12 suites are available for high-end boarding. The rooms can fit two cats, but, for more, two rooms can open into a double suite. Each has a number of toys, climbing apparatus and a television with cat-stimulating, high-def entertainment screens.
Cameras are also available for owners to visit their pets virtually.
The retreat team not only includes specialists who can watch over the cats but also a vet tech who can administer medicine if needed. The UV air conditioning system keeps cats free from any cross-contamination. And cats can even get their nails did.
The Stovalls worked to create a retreat space that provides above-and-beyond care, because that’s what they themselves would want.
“We never felt comfortable boarding our cats just anywhere,” Rob said. “They are usually in a cage or possibly next to sick animals. We designed a place that we would feel comfortable with. The cats get plenty of personal attention, and we have a concierge service available.”
The Stovalls expect to expand the space with an existing area behind the building.
Rob credits his and Caroline’s thought processes in designing and creating the cat café to their careers: She is a partner in an accounting firm (and unavailable for the interview and visit), and he is a retired CFO.
“We are very type A people,” he laughed.
They are also devout East Dallas folks with Lake Highlands roots (he even had an LH cap on during the tour). For the cafe, they wanted it to keep everything local to the area. Whisker and Soda serves Cultivar coffee which is located down the road on Peavy. They source baked goods from Leila Bakery in Lakewood.
“We wanted it as local as possible,” Rob said.
Once past the mag-locked door (gotta keep those kitties inside), guests can enjoy the cafe that features a full menu of drinks and nosh, sofas, tables, charging stations, puzzles and — yes — cats.
The cafe was designed of course with the cats in mind. Open ceiling rafters, hidden doors and even a retreat space to take a break from the humans all allow the cats to frolic throughout the cafe and interact with guests.
A wall also includes info sheets about the resident cats, which are all up for adoption.
“We partner with Voice for All Paws, of which my wife is the president,” Rob said. “That’s how we started this whole venture. She’s at PetSmart setting up for adoptions, but we kept thinking how nice it would be to have a building the cats could live in and people could visit them — like a cafe.”
And Whiskers and Soda was born this past spring — with a bang.
The word was out, and the plan was to open for a few hours with maybe 500 people coming by. But, “We had about 1,500 people show up, and we had to move them in and out over the course of three hours,” Rob said. “It was really amazing.”
Whiskers and Soda Cat Cafe/Griffin Rock Cat Retreat is open daily except on Mondays. For more information, visit WhiskersAndSoda.com.