Josh Davis, owner of the newly opened Luna Café, said he wanted to bring a piece of Japan to Syracuse.

Davis also said he decided to open the cafe, which offers a mix between Japanese and Midwestern food, when he recognized the need for a place where students could escape their dorms and stressful lives to decompress alongside animals.

Luna Café was inspired by traditional Japanese cat cafes, which are small spaces where people are able to play with cats while enjoying their favorite coffee or bubble tea. He took the idea of a cat cafe further by curating a full restaurant menu of Midwestern and Japanese food that he prepares daily by himself.

Located at 1001 E. Fayette St., the restaurant is decorated with traditional Japanese items and colors, and the cat room has anime playing in the background. Open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, customers come to the cafe to eat, drink and hang with cats.

Davis’ fascination for Japanese culture and cuisine has grown through his trips to Japan, he said.

“I also wanted to bring a piece of Japan because I miss it so much,” Davis said. “That is why the colors in the restaurant are the colors of a Japanese torii gate, and the colors in the cat room are those of cherry blossoms.”

Most of the cats at Luna Café are up for adoption, and the cafe works with the Central New York Cat Coalition to help visitors facilitate the adoption of available cats, Davis said. This provides guests with a safe and trustworthy environment where they can get to know their future pets before taking them home.

The cafe offers a full dinner and lunch menu in addition to coffee drinks and deserts.
Chenze Chen | Staff Photographer

Davis placed a QR code in the cat room that allows guests to fill in an application to demonstrate their interest in one of the cats. After visitors fill out a form, the CNY Cat Coalition reaches out to ensure that they are the right person to take care of the cat.

Syracuse University sophomore Roger Moore said he’s always had hesitations about cats and is interested in confronting his concerns by going to the Luna Café.

“Going to the cat cafe would help me see what cats are actually like and how they interact with me and to see if they like me or not,” Moore said. “If I saw one that actually took a liking to me, maybe I could adopt one.”

Davis also explained that bringing in new cats into the cafe can sometimes be a difficult process because they don’t get along well with one another at first. But he and his team have come up with strategies, like keeping the new cats separate for a few days before introducing them to the others. This allows the cats to get along very well with one another, he said.

There are also two cats in the cafe that aren’t up for adoption: Old Man Dave, who is too old, and Goliath, who is “extremely overweight,” Davis said. These two cats have been at the cafe longer than most others and help in the adaptation of newcomers.

“While the rest of the cats in the beginning scuffle a lot, these two are super chill and instantly want to hang out, so they get along with anybody,” Davis said.

The cafe offers a variety of drinks and foods — such as Okonomiyaki pizza, which Davis said is a traditional Japanese pancake transformed into a pizza — and even has ketogenic-friendly options. Davis said he adds his own Midwestern touch on Japanese cuisine.

The drinks range from espresso and matcha lattes to milk and bubble tea, which is also offered in a keto option. The desserts include sweets like pie, cinnamon rolls and cheesecake, as well as Japanese-inspired options such as ice cream mochi.

“As of today, there is a 50/50 split between guests who come in just for the food and guests who come just for the cats,” Davis said.

Luna Cafe charges for visitors to spend time with the cats: 30 minutes is $6, one hour is $10.50 and unlimited time is $20.

Davis and his employees make sure to ask guests what they are coming in for as they walk into the cafe and are surprised to see that many guests who come in because of the cats become excited when they hear that the cafe also offers a full menu of food and drinks.

“People still have some misconceptions,” Davis said. “Many still think we’re just a small coffee shop, but we’re actually a full service restaurant.”

Published on October 6, 2021 at 11:09 pm

Contact Noah: norosenb@syr.edu