SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Nanka Robinson has been an animal lover her entire life. As a child, Robinson would often bring home stray, broken animals to nurse back to health.
In 2011, Robinson and her husband Chris moved to Armenia, and spent time traveling through Europe. Robinson began to notice a new trend in coffee shops – cat cafes, which are bistros where customers could sip a beverage, enjoy a light snack, and mingle with friendly felines.
The idea sparked in her mind, and when Robinson and her husband moved back to the U.S. in 2021, she decided to bring the concept to the States. Robinson was further encouraged when, while living on the New Hampshire seacoast, she came upon a cat cafe in Newmarket. After relocating to Vermont, Robinson knew she was ready to make her dream a reality.
With a planned opening date of Monday, Sept. 15, the Purrmont Cat Cafe, located at 3 Main Street in downtown Springfield, will welcome customers and cat lovers alike.
While residing in Armenia, a country with a questionable history of handling homeless animals, Robinson committed her time to helping care for the countless stray cats she saw roaming the streets. She initiated educational programs to raise awareness among the citizens, and recruited veterinarians into the community to treat sick or wounded felines, and to offer public spay and neuter services.
Culturally, things began to shift during the 10 years Robinson lived in Armenia, and today there are animal shelters, NGOs, and volunteers who work to educate the public, and to save the lives of the country’s stray cats and dogs. Armenia’s animal welfare legislation has made significant advancements as well.
Initially, Robinson wanted to partner with a local humane society or animal shelter and offer cat adoptions at Purrmont Cafe, but after some initial discussions stalled, that plan has not worked out just yet.
The Main Street storefront is divided into two separate spaces. On the right side is the cafe, which can seat up to 18 customers, and the left side is a bright, well-appointed cat (and human) lounge. A cozy spot with a large-screen television, a variety of seating areas, and several workspaces, the cat lounge will also be home to five or six felines.
For the cats, there are climbing towers, hanging basket beds, a catwalk built just below the ceiling, water bubblers, and a state-of-the-art, self-cleaning litterbox.
Purrmont Cafe will host a variety of low-key activities in the cat lounge, like knitting classes, book clubs, and children’s events. Recently, Robinson partnered with a local homeschooling group, who brought students to the cafe to contribute their colorful art creations to the catwalks and tables in the lounge. The result is a vibrant, kid-friendly space that feels cheerful and welcoming.
Robinson will sell a variety of coffee and tea; gluten-free, no-refined-sugar cookies; and pastries served all day. The cafe will also carry locally sourced bagels, breakfast burritos, and goodies from Cuppity Cakes in Springfield. At lunchtime, Robinson plans to offer soup, and prepared salads and sandwiches. Eventually, the cafe will add ice cream and ice cream drinks to its menu.
The cafe is wheelchair accessible, and the cat lounge has a waterfront view of the Black River. Robinson wants to create a safe space for people to gather, chill out, visit, read, or work on their computer, grab a coffee or a snack, and hang out with the kitties.
Springfield has made a concerted effort recently to revitalize the downtown area, and as one of several Main Street businesses ready to open up shop, Purrmont Cafe will give folks another fun reason to visit Springfield.