Get A Gato

Cats are notoriously fickle, but as clients, they can be quite inspirational. And having a human client with a vision to create a space where customers can commune with cats, fall in love and adopt them over a coffee and Columbian cakes, well that is a rewarding design challenge.

Located in a historic three-story building at 638 Christian Street in Philadelphia, Get A Gato's first challenge was the space itself: an elevated ground-floor trapezoidal interior with a corner entry. While those circumstances can be advantageous, fitting in a program of separated spaces for the cafe, cat lounge and their related ADA requirements as well as back-of-house needs, not to mention the spatial impact of the existing apartment stairwells and the straight jacket of the historic designation, posed a significant reduction in usable floor space. The logical solution was to align the back-of-house needs and the required separation vestibule along the party wall leaving the north and west-facing areas open to cafe seating and the cat lounge. Thus, the existing interior was largely removed to grab every square inch.

As an operating non-profit, the cafe is the primary financial motivator to keep the cats happy and ready to be adopted. Therefore, the cafe's layout had to be uniquely designed to attract and retain a customer base while communicating the main theme: there are cats here! This was resolved by placing a curved counter in direct view of the entry that sinuously carries the customer from selecting to ordering to pick-up to soaking in the spectacle of the cat lounge. Like a stroked cat's back, the counter bows out toward the customer. The counter fascia is clad in colored reeds that stretch a gradient of the Columbian flag from yellow to blue to red; its inherent texture demands to be petted. A pastry case interrupts the fascia and is directly aligned with the entry. The countertop, composed of midnight-black granite, serves as a neutral backdrop for the colorful Latin-inspired food. Four unique cat-head shaped taps pop up announcing specialty drinks. An arced drop ceiling follows the counter curve and houses the HVAC that serves the cafe side. A polar array of custom Whisker lights™️ radiate light over the circulation zone and tables.

Uniquely designed cat-themed table legs and chairs line the exterior walls. The chair backs are modified Prouve chairs with carved cat ears that reference the main theme while serving as a stay for purse straps. Custom millwork houses ample retail-oriented gifts at key locations within the cafe. Cat-shaped open pulls provide access to further storage and a secreted compartment contains a ladder and cleaning supplies. More millwork is by the door serving as a mixing counter, waste/recycling and bussing station.

A cinema screen proportioned fixed glass provides access to the spectacle of the cat lounge. This demising partition is key as it allows customers to sit and watch the cats frolic while remaining outside of the space. Thus, those who have allergies can still enjoy the cat lounge vicariously and those who are interested in adopting a cat can see the ones available. The counter at the fixed glass is at stool height and is supported by custom brackets with a cat-tail hooks to hold bags. A Catwalk of sorts lines the sill on the cat lounge side for closer inspection of the adoptable fur balls beyond.

The cat lounge is reached by entering a building code-required vestibule whose entry sequence and low ceiling create spatial compression and reorientation. Cat-shaped portals signify the transitional space. Transparent doors with custom cat-paw push and cat-tail pull hardware allow customers to see around the corner and offer the cat portals a subtle glow when viewed from outside after closing.

After the reorientation of the vestibule, the cat lounge awaits. In line with the cat-shaped portal are the Cat Sills,™️ where a boarded-up masonry opening was given a full pane of glass to showcase seven cats sunning themselves in the afternoon light. Elliptical holes allow the cats to climb through the replaceable carpet-clad shelving. The Cat Sills™️ allow people on the exterior to interact with the cats and hence animate the western facade of the cafe. The sills can be slotted in at various locations to create a varied experience for the cats in residence. Overall, the Cat Sills™️ are RethinkTANK's favorite feature!

New masonry openings were not possible due to the historical designation. This left a large portion of the cat lounge interior wall open for invention. Cat tree's are standard fare for feline amusement, but here the form has been elevated to another level. 8 levels in fact. Using the typology of cast iron spiral stair fabrication, the Get A Gato cat tree extends eight swiveling arms from its green powder-coated support pole. Each arm shrinks in length as they rise up the pole. Six replaceable carpeted lily pads and two clear bowls terminate the arms. Customers can swivel the arms creating a challenging course for the cats as they make their way to the top where a hook dangles a treat. At the end of the day, the arms swivel against the wall for cleanup.

A long banquette with a reeded back and integrated tables sits opposite the cat tree. The back has a level surface for the cats to lie upon and leap to the jungle gym above. Here, customers can sip a cafe au lait while caressing a cat.

The back wall is side-lit by another revealed masonry opening and has a television for the cats who enjoy watching fauna. Who knew?

And when it is time to visit the loo, a back-of-house area is accessed through a mini cat portal. Humans have their own loo in the cafe that is adorned with cat murals by local artists. All cats are vet certified and adoptions are handled on-site. Within the first six months of operation over 50 cats have been adopted.