Les Cafes and Pet-Friendly Spaces: The MANNER Store Case in Guangzhou

A MANNER store in Teemall, Guangzhou, has become known for its pet-friendly setup after baristas took in several stray cats and added cat trees, cat beds and food and water bowls. The cats, once wandering the mall, now stay at the store, and posts on social platforms brought cat lovers in to buy coffee and see them.

Unlike regular cat cafes, the cats mostly keep to themselves, sleeping or sunbathing rather than seeking attention, which customers seem to enjoy anyway. The story has drawn wider attention to les cafes with a pet-friendly setup and to the role community coffee shops can play for the neighborhoods they sit in.

At a MANNER store in Teemall, Guangzhou, baristas voluntarily took in several stray cats and added cat trees, cat beds, and food and water bowls for them. These furry kids, who used to wander around the mall area, now treat the store as their home. Not only do they have a dedicated rest area, but they have also gained a large number of fans nearby. As "MANNER with cats" spread on social platforms, many cat lovers made special trips to buy coffee and see the cats. This move added a touch of warmth to this community coffee shop and also drew attention to pet-friendly cafes.

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"Scratching cats feels great for a moment, but it feels great all the time."

Right now, more and more young people treat "cat cuddling" and "dog petting" as everyday ways to relax, and the pet-owning population continues to grow. Ordinarily, if a shop can provide a cozy environment and good coffee while also showing enough tolerance toward cats and dogs, it often leaves a lasting impression on customers. A qualified community coffee shop cannot do without warm service.

Recently, a MANNER in Teemall, Guangzhou, gained quite a bit of attention on social media for its pet-friendly image.

Stepping into this MANNER, you will see a rather unusual scene: at the entrance are cat trees, cat beds, and bowls for cat food and water, along with other pet supplies meant for the "masters." While waiting for coffee, several "original residents" of different coat colors may appear at any moment. Strangest of all, rather than the coffee, the subjects people raise their phones to photograph are these cats, and they even call them by name.

Unlike the "employees" at regular cat cafes, these furry kids are not very eager to interact with people, and instead mainly project a peaceful, quiet vibe (they ignore you). Some lie belly-up sunbathing, some curl up in seats and sleep, some get itchy paws and busily "inspect" the supplies, and some rub against someone else's iced Americano... But no matter what they do, they always seem to win customers over, who cannot resist taking a few more photos.

It is understood that these cats were originally strays active near the mall, appearing in no fixed places, lying wherever it was cool and squeezing into wherever was comfortable. But because the MANNER baristas fed them regularly and let them sleep in cardboard boxes or on chairs, the cats became less shy of strangers and gradually came to treat this place as "home."

As the number of cute members grew and they often interacted with customers coming to buy coffee, the baristas, as the "landlords," thoughtfully put up small signs for these new residents not long ago, reminding everyone to be careful when "cat cuddling" and not to disturb them to avoid scratches. In addition, the staff also bought supporting facilities for the little strays to settle in, providing an independent place to rest and play while also separating them from other customers' dining space. It is hard not to be moved by such thoughtful details.

Of course, these little kitties do not always stay obediently in place; occasionally they roughhouse or cause a little trouble. For example, just a few days ago, a gray tabby cat named "Pidan" climbed onto the mall ceiling and could not get down for a while, so it meowed for someone to rescue it. The staff then held up a cardboard box and brought it down from above. After the cat was successfully "captured," all that could be heard was a loud smack: "It's you again." It seems this kind of small episode happens from time to time here, and the baristas are used to it.

In this way, the few furry kids kept gaining many fans nearby, and this Teemall store successfully became a "cat cafe" because of the baristas' good deeds. "Going to MANNER to pet cats" also gave nearby office workers another excuse to slack off. Meanwhile, on social platforms, as this "MANNER with cats" was spread by everyone for a time, many cat lovers, upon hearing the news, went one after another to buy a cup of coffee in support and incidentally see the rumored "socially confident cats."

I once heard a saying: public welfare does not require stating its meaning before doing it; rather, as long as it is done, it has meaning. In fact, rescuing stray cats is a very common act, but the situation with these MANNER baristas is indeed rather special and especially thoughtful, as they not only carefully look after each cat member and help name them and establish fixed homes, but also put up reminder signs for the furry kids. A coffee shop so full of human warmth definitely deserves extra points.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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