Local business The Chatty Cat Cafe won the hearts of judges during their pitch at Shark Tub, East Central Ohio’s Pitch Competition, where they were selected as this year’s Grand Champion.
The Chatty Cat Cafe is located in the Colony Square Mall (3575 Maple Ave., Zanesville). They serve a variety of drinks, including various hot or iced coffees, energy drinks, boba teas, frozen drinks, and light eats for breakfast and lunch.
“We’re half coffee shop, half foster home for adoptable rescue cats. So we sell coffee that helps us continue to find forever homes for foster cats. We work with 501c3 non-profit rescue groups, so cats that are typically living in foster homes that don’t get a lot of exposure, and we also work with open intake animal shelters and help reduce euthanasia. Instead, we get them vetted, bring them here, and give them up for adoption,” explained owner Erica Roberts.
The Cafe has several cats that are in need of homes, but two that stand out as needing one more urgently are the one-and-a-half-year-old sibling pair Papa John and Ally.
“Our longest resident is Papa John. He has a sister named Ally. They are a bonded pair of black cats. They’re just the sweetest things ever. They love cat treats, wet food, and any kind of food-related cat toy; they’re obsessed with. If anyone is looking for a great pair of kitties, come here to Chatty Cat.”
Winning the Shark Tub competition will allow Chatty Cat Cafe to provide faster service to its coffee ordering patrons.
Visiting with the cats in the Cat Lounge at The Chatty Cat Cafe allows cat lovers a chance to interact with a variety of cats, including permanent resident and Cat Lounge Manager Zion (a beautiful, smooshy-faced feline). It also gives families or individuals trying to decide which cat is the right fit a chance to meet several in a relaxed environment where the cats are comfortable and their individual personalities shine. Single lounge visits or monthly memberships can be booked ahead of time through The Chatty Cat Cafe website. You can also reserve the Cat Lounge for your next event or private party.
“My plan for the prize money is to finally get a beautiful two-group Rocket Boxer Espresso Machine … I’ve had my eye on this espresso machine for at least 7 months,” said Roberts. “Our espresso machine when we first opened, I got a medium cafe espresso machine. We weren’t sure how it was gonna go, how people would take a cat cafe, so we didn’t necessarily go in on the best and biggest espresso machine right away, and we started somewhere in the middle, and we very quickly outgrew it. We barely made it through last fall, being able to make enough hot drinks because it would make so many, cool down, then you have to wait for it to heat all the way back up before you can make the rest of the drinks. So we are going to use that money to get a two-group espresso machine with a double boiler, and it’s going to be awesome! I can’t wait!”
Beyond the cash prizes, all top-place winners get the opportunity to work with top professionals who provide marketing, accounting, and legal help to businesses. Teri Clapper at the Small Business Development Center at Ohio University, Southeast Ohio Financial Services, and Gottlieb, Johnston, Beam & Dal Ponte PLL. are assisting in their respective areas of expertise.
“Getting a better relationship with the small business development center and using some of those tools to get us to that next level … we want to start scaling, and that is going to help us do that,” stated Roberts.
Over ten entrepreneurs from ten counties competed this year at the event held on April 24 at Zane State College, including those from Muskingum, Coshocton, Guernsey, and Tuscarawas, to name a few. Businesses from Muskingum County took all three top places and were collectively awarded over $8,000 in prizes. Second place was awarded to Leaping Lizards Adventure out of Zanesville. Leaping Lizards Adventure is operated by a mother-daughter team and is all about educating children about reptiles by bringing them to libraries and schools for a fun, interactive learning experience. Mobile Surgeon out of New Concord won third place with their mobile phone repair service. The People’s Choice award went to Socket Up out of Bergholz. Socket Up is a tool organization solution created by Jeff and Nancy Buxton.
Sponsors who helped to make this year’s event possible include the main sponsor, HV Coil, and other sponsors Jefferson County Port Authority, Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, The Community Bank, Lauren International, EOS | Ninety, Zanesville Business and Professional Women (BPW), Small Business Development Center at Ohio University, A Taste of Ohio wine bourbon and beer, and Zane State College.
For more information on the Shark Tub East Central Ohio’s Pitch Competition, visit their Facebook page facebook.com/ECOSharkTub. You can find The Chatty Cat Cafe online by visiting thechattycatcafe.com or follow them on their socials @thechattycatcafe.
