Cat cafes are pretty popular. So is rhyming. It stands to reason then, that anything that rhymes with cat cafe will also be popular. This line of reason, I presume, is what led to the rat cafe, a pop-up shop happening at The Dungeon in San Francisco.
Not usually a coffee shop, The Dungeon is a historical theatre of sorts that takes patrons on a “journey through San Francisco’s past from the Gold Rush to Alcatraz,” according to their website. The Black Rat Café appears to be some sort of coffee shop experience during the Bubonic Plague years.
For a cool $50, patrons have access to all-you-can-drink coffee and tea. And rats. As their website puts it:
Guests can sip their coffee while seated at bistro-style tables, nicely drape with rad and white gingham tablecloths… all while being surrounded by rats.
Matthew Clarkson of The Dungeon tells Eater San Francisco that they are complying with all health code regulations, which means that any food items will be cleared out before the rats are released. But it sounds like coffee and tea will be still be allowed.
Like with other animal-themed cafes, the critters are being provided by a local rescue as a means of raising awareness and finding homes for the creatures. In this case, Rattie Ratz of Clayton, California are providing the squirmin’ vermin, who “make very good pets” and “ if looked after, they’re as clean as a cat or a dog,” Clarkson tells Eater.
The Black Rat Café will be open on July 1st and 8th at 9:00am. Tickets will go on sale soon via The Dungeon’s website.
Personally, if I wanted to pay $50 to have a coffee with rats running around everywhere, I’d just go to New York. (jk NYC love ya, mean it)
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
*top image via the San Francisco Dungeon
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