Sip & Purr Is Unique Cafe and Bar

On Wednesday April 30, a line formed outside Brady Street‘s newest performing space for its grand opening, the patrons eager to fork over the $10 cover charge to see cats — live and in person!

Although the entertainment offered at Sip & Purr Cat Cafe was not a performance of the globally known musical Cats, the cast has included international players in its previous venue, which opened in 2018 on E. Ivanhoe Pl.

You see, in February 2017, owner Katy McHugh had an epiphany in Amsterdam where, at a cat café, a friendly feline sat on her lap as she drank a glass of wine — which led to another glass of wine, a new career for the flight attendant, and a successful business blending a cafe with a cat rescue and adoption service that has a global reach. The Ivanhoe Pl. cafe closed at the end of 2023 as McHugh planned its move to Brady Street.

The new space, that features a sunny, spacious room at the eastern portion of 833 E. Brady St. where patrons can enjoy coffee, tea, wine, beer and zero-alcohol beverages. Likewise facing the street and benefiting from the light of the ample display windows, is a room on the western half, separated from the cafe space by a corridor with double doors to prevent cat escapes. (“Please close the door after yourself,” a sign reads, “Those cats are tricky.”)

This is the Cat Lounge, and that is where the action was on its opening day, when, at 5 p.m., 15 people lounged among the scratch posts, pillow beds, toys and even an old television set (minus its cathode ray tube) that is now a cat house, a feature once found but long missing from the street.

Customers signed a waiver, and paid $10 apiece for an hour’s time between noon and 8 p.m. with the animals. That’s a deal, as the rates on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are $15. Friday is also a $10 day, while the cafe is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. A large interior window allows those patrons who choose to do so the option of watching the human-cat interactions from the peanut gallery, free of cat hair, dander or a cover charge.

Taken altogether — the location, the design, the efficient service and the humane mission of the owner and staff all seem to click. The west end of Brady Street needed a boost, and this place looks like it will be a hit, at least as long as there are stray cats in need of permanent homes and thirsty Milwaukeeans in need of a place to drink.

The Tavern Today

The western end of Brady Street has always been more difficult to activate than the bustling, more commercial portion east of N. Humboldt Ave. Although a few of the late 19th century homes have had storefronts appended to them in years past, the preponderance of buildings here are residences. Such was the case with this property, on the southwest corner of Brady and Marshall streets, where as early as 1894, a side-by-side duplex stood on the lot, fronting on Marshall St. On July 30th, 1992, the property, now with more than two living units, was sold, for only $9,400, to Francesco Pecoraro, whose store was next door.

By the turn of the century, however, the building was gone, consumed by a spectacular fire. Pecoraro, an eccentric character, was known as the “Pepperoni Cannoli Guy” due to his hawking of those two Sicilian treats in any neighborhood tavern that would let him inside. For years after the fire, he would scrape any piece of living vegetation from the soil there, using a flat-blade spade. He lost the property in a tax foreclosure in 2013, at which time it dropped off the tax rolls until September 22nd, 2020 when a company affiliated with Milwaukee Bucks player Pat Connaughton bought it for $105,000. A new building, featuring a retail space below a 2,500 square foot apartment above, was announced even before the purchase had been completed.

In late 2023, McHugh decided to rent the retail space, which she hoped to open by December 1st 2024. But during negotiations on the rental contract, McHugh discovered the place was for sale, so she bought it for $1,250,000. The opening had to be postponed until April, owing to a vacancy in the 3rd Aldermanic District. With the installation of Alex Brower, on April 22nd, license applications were again reviewed for approval, and Sip & Purr’s was among the first three to be granted.

The building fits in nicely with the historic district, with a stone exterior surrounding the large windows that take advantage of the corner location. A tally board can be seen in the window. As of Wednesday, it read “Adoptions Since June 2018: 1,428!”

Inside, head to the left if you want to enjoy the cafe, or to sign up for an hour in the cat lounge. You will likely find McHugh at the register, attired in a t-shirt reading “DRINK WINE. SAVE CATS.” There she efficiently manages the counter service, drawing on her past experience as a flight attendant, accustomed to operating in tight spaces. (Her husband is a pilot). The tiled floor is white, with random black accents. The counter, fronted with rescued wood, is lit by five suspended globe lights, while it groans under the weight of an espresso machine, coffee grinders, snacks and a considerable rack of cat-themed gifts. I can think of any number of people who would crave a copy of “Queer Icons and their Cats,” for example. A chalk board lists dozens of combinations and permutations of caffeinated beverages. A limited selection of beers is available for $6, and a wine will set you back ten bucks.

Then, grab a seat along the street, or sit in a chair outside the cat lounge and watch the play within.

About those International Cat Rescue Operations

On social media, McHugh has taken some heat for rescuing cats from overseas, and bringing them to Milwaukee for rehabilitation and adoption, working with Lakeland Animal Shelter of Elkhorn. Aren’t there enough feral cats in our own city to rescue, spay, neuter and adopt? Missing from this equation is the fact that many nations lack an infrastructure to take care of humane treatment of domesticated animals. Their website says “Sip & Purr is the only cat cafe in America that routinely accepts international non-traditional, at-risk cats into our adoption program.” McHugh has accompanied cats from Lebanon and Qatar, although all the animals currently in her custody are domestic, she says.

25 Cats from Qatar World Premiere Here

McHugh’s efforts came to the attention of Mye Hoang, whose 2022 documentary “Cat Daddies” was featured in the 2022 Milwaukee Film Festival. This led to the creation of 25 Cats from Qatar, which documents McHugh’s spontaneous, unsanctioned mission to rescue 25 endangered cats from Qatar, a wealthy country, where nearly 90 percent of workers are from other nations. The film will have its world premiere at the Milwaukee Film Festival on Saturday, May 3rd at 3 p.m. A second showing will be held Wednesday, May 7th at 4 p.m. at the Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave.

On Tap

• Lagunitas IPA, can
• 3 Sheeps Wisconsinitis Cream Ale, can
• New Glarus Spotted Cow, bottle

The Verdict

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