Cat cafe open to the public in Chinatown

CHINATOWN, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Calling all cat lovers: there's a new pop-up restaurant you may be interested in. It's called "Catfe" and it's exactly what it sounds like, a cafe full of cats.

Carlos Wong came up with the idea after seeing something similar in Tokyo.

"People already like to go to coffee shops and unwind there but having a kitten in your lap kind of amplifies that," Wong said.

Catfes are already popular in Austria. At the cat cafe in New York, the Cataccinno is a favorite.

The idea is already drawing a big, curious crowd of people excited to try something different in Chinatown.

With cat videos wildly popular online, the hope is to give people an up close and personal experience.

"I met somebody yesterday while we were setting up the cafe who had said that she had never pet a cat before, and I thought that was just so sad. They're awesome," Pussy & Pooch owner Janene Zakrajsek said.

Public health officials gave the restaurant its blessing as long as the food is prepared in another room. They said it's perfectly OK to actually eat with the cats.

The pop-up is only set to be open for four days, but there is a Kickstarter campaign and Facebook page trying to give the Catfe a forever home in downtown Los Angeles.

For now, there is cat gear for sale next door and ways to adopt kittens. Dog people are also welcome at the Catfe.

The Catfe is located in Chinatown's Far East Plaza at 727 North Broadway. It will be open until Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, visit www.catfela.com.