New cat cafe to open in Kaimuki

Feline lovers, rejoice! A new cat cafe in Kaimuki will open its doors on Thursday.

Popoki and Tea has come a long way since its first pop-up in June 2018. After holding a number of events at Kaimuki businesses, owner Liberty Peralta’s vision of opening a brick-and-mortar cat cafe has finally come to fur-uition.

Peralta is partnered with KAT Charities, a foster-­based animal rescue organization which provides the cafe with healthy, socialized cats ready for adoption. Peralta’s focus is on adult cats. “The ones that have a hard time getting adopted,” she said. However, she says she might hold events with kittens in the future.

For the “tea” part of the cafe’s name, Peralta collaborated with neighboring businesses to provide prepackaged drinks and refreshments. (Restaurant XO is behind the milk teas.)

Thursday night’s opening features a “Galentine’s” Night Out, which is $22 for a 75-minute session, including a bottle of milk tea and a goodie bag. There’s also a special Valentine’s Day date night on Friday.

To ensure you get a spot at Popoki and Tea, Peralta encourages people to book in advance, as walk-ins might not be accommodated during busy times. For bookings, go to popokiandtea.com.