Purrington's Cat Lounge

Purrington's Cat Lounge (sometimes Purringtons Cat Lounge or simply Purringtons) was a cat café and shelter in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The establishment billed itself as "the first cat cafe and adoption center in the Pacific Northwest".[1] Purrington's was the first cat cafe in Oregon[2] and among the first in North America.[3][4][5]

Purrington's Cat Lounge
Logo
The venue's exterior in 2021
Purrington's Cat Lounge is located in Portland, Oregon
Purrington's Cat Lounge
Purrington's Cat Lounge
Location in Portland, Oregon
Address3529 Northeast Martin Luther King Boulevard
LocationPortland, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates45.54860°N 122.66184°W / 45.54860; -122.66184
Owner
  • Kristen and Sergio Castillo (2015–2019)
  • Garrett Simpson and Helen Harris (2019–2022)
OpenedJanuary 24, 2015 (2015-01-24)
Closed2022

Description

Purrington's was a cat café and shelter.[6][7] Large windows offered ample natural light,[8] and the interior had an "exposed concrete and an industrial-chic vibe".[9] The business served food as well as coffee, tea,[10] beer, cider, and wine.[11][12][13][14] According to USA Today, Purrington's was the first cat cafe to serve alcohol.[15] The lounge accommodated 15 to 20 people per hour appointment.[15][16] Military veterans and senior citizens received a discount.[17]

History

Purrington's opened on January 24, 2015,[18] on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the northeast Portland part of the Boise neighborhood.[9][19] More than 300 people attended its opening.[20] The business was initially owned by Kristen and Sergio Castillo. Kristen was inspired to pursue the venture in October 2013, when she saw her friend share a video from Le Café des Chats in Paris.[20] She quit her job to seek funding for the project.[21]

Purrington's partnered with the Sherwood-based rescue organization Cat Adoption Team (CAT) to facilitate cat adoptions.[20] Approximately 150 cats were adopted in the first year,[22][23] and at least 600 cats were adopted between 2015 and 2018.[24][25] The business also offered yoga classes.[26][27]

The cafe was expected to close in November 2018.[28][29] However, ownership transferred to Garrett Simpson and Helen Harris in January 2019.[30] After being closed for nine months and undergoing a renovation, Purrington's reopened in early 2020.[31][32] The business was burglarized in January 2020.[33] Operations ceased temporarily in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[34]

In September 2022, Simpson and Harris announced plans to close in November.[35][36][37]

Reception
Interior during COVID-19 pandemic closure, 2021

Zachary Carlsen of Sprudge wrote in 2015, "I hope that when a cat cafe inevitably comes to a neighborhood near you, it is done with the degree of care, respect, and love evident at Purringtons."[16] Jamie Ditaranto included Purrington's in USA Today's 2017 list of nine "cutest animal cafes around the world".[15] In 2022, Emilee Lindner included Purrington's in Time Out's list of the "cutest cat cafes in the US for cuddles and coffee",[38] and Janelle Leeson included the business in Yahoo!'s list of "15 Must-Visit Cat Cafés, and How They're Changing the Way We Adopt".[39] Janea Melido of The Beacon said Purrington's was "the best part about going to school in Portland".[40] Willamette Week's Suzette Smith said the cafe had "surprisingly good snacks".[12] Purrington's inspired the establishment of a similar cat cafe in Las Vegas.[41]

See also

References
  1. "Purringtons Cat Lounge". Purringtons Cat Lounge. 2016-07-12. Archived from the original on 2016-07-08. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  2. "Cat Lovers unite around new cafe coming to Portland". The Columbian. Archived from the original on 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  3. Sawyer, Cassie (2014-08-07). "Finally! Purringtons Cat Lounge Has a Home in Northeast". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  4. Canavan, Hillary Dixler (2014-03-11). "A Cat Cafe Is In the Works for Portland, OR". Eater. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  5. "Portland's Pussycat Paradise". Eugene Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  6. "Purrington's, Portland's Only Cat Cafe, Cashed In One of Its Nine Lives Last Year. Does It Deserve the Second Chance?". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  7. Galarza, Daniela (2015-02-17). "The Definitive List of North America's 24 Open and Upcoming Cat Cafes". Eater. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  8. "Not Into Spas? Try These Stress Relief Alternatives around Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  9. Centoni, Danielle (2015-01-30). "Check out Purrington's Cat Lounge, Which is Actually Quite Cool". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  10. Centoni, Danielle (2015-01-06). "Reservations Now Available for Purrington's, Portland's First Cat Cafe". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  11. "Purrington's Cat Lounge". Portland Monthly. ISSN 1546-2765. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  12. "Purrington's, Portland's Only Cat Cafe, Has Cute Cats and Surprisingly Good Snacks". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  13. Diehl, Caleb. "Oregon Business - Hello, Kitty!". Oregon Business. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  14. Jackson, Christina (2017-09-13). "Find the Purrfect Pour at These Cat Cafés". Wine Enthusiast. ISSN 1078-3318. Archived from the original on 2022-10-06. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  15. Ditaranto, Jamie. "Nine cutest animal cafes around the world". USA Today. Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  16. "Inside Purringtons Cat Lounge, Portland's Very First Cat Cafe". Sprudge. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  17. "Purringtons Cat Lounge Offers Senior Citizens and Veterans a Paw-Some Deal". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  18. Balas, Monique (2015-01-21). "Purringtons Cat Lounge celebrates grand opening Saturday". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  19. Chemotti, Lucas (2015-01-20). "A Look Inside Purringtons, Portland's First Cat Cafe". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  20. Lackey, Kayo (2015-02-02). "Oregon's First Cat Cafe: a Look Inside Purringtons Cat Lounge". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  21. "These cafes are cool for cats". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  22. "Purrington's Celebrates One Year—and 146 Cat Adoptions!". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  23. "Orlando Cat Cafe announces Axum Coffee as a partner". West Orange Times & Observer. Observer Media Group. 2016-02-02. OCLC 35207635. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  24. Acker, Lizzy (2019-02-01). "Cat-astrophe averted: Portland's cat cafe is reopening". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  25. Sparling, Zane. "Portland's only cat cafe uses up its ninth life". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. OCLC 46708462. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  26. Ferguson, Courtney; Skinner, Marjorie. "The Purrrfection of Cat Yoga". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  27. Peterson, Dave (2017-10-27). "Try These Yoga Hybrids". Northwest Travel Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  28. Njus, Elliot (2018-10-06). "Purringtons, Portland's only cat cafe, to close". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  29. Prewitt, Andi (2018-10-06). "Portland's Only Cat Café Is Closing". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  30. Singer, Matthew (2019-02-01). "Portland's Only Cat Cafe Is Reopening Under New Ownership". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  31. "#Sunrise60: Purrington's Cat Lounge, the first cat cafe in the Pacific NW, reopens with new owners". KGW. January 27, 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  32. Smith, Suzette (2020-02-07). "Portland's Ethical Cat Cafe Purrington's Returns, Now With More Treats". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  33. Frane, Alex (2020-01-14). "Someone Is Breaking into Restaurants and Cafes on Northeast MLK and North Williams". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  34. "Portland's Only Cat Cafe Reopens and Immediately Adopts Out All Its Cats". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  35. "Cat's out of the bag: Purrington's announces it will close". KOIN. 2022-09-16. Archived from the original on 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  36. Slovic, Beth (2022-11-13). "Portland's cat cafe closes again; 7 lives remain for Purrington's". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-11-13. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  37. Bjorke, Christopher (November 14, 2022). "Portland cat cafe Purrington's Cat Lounge closes again". Portland Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  38. "The 12 cutest cat cafes in the US". Time Out. Time Out Group. ISSN 0049-3910. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  39. "15 Must-Visit Cat Cafés, and How They're Changing the Way We Adopt". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  40. "Are you feeling the burnout?". The Beacon. University of Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  41. "Meow or Never café offers coffee and a cat to go". Las Vegas Weekly. 2017-12-07. Archived from the original on 2022-11-26. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
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