Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium will return with new leadership after a last-minute rescue.
Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, once London’s most talked-about cat café with queues stretching for months, has been given a new lease of life after an angel investor swooped in “at the 11th hour” to save it from permanent closure.
The café, which opened over a decade ago and became a sanctuary for rescue cats as well as a hotspot for feline-loving visitors, had faced mounting debts following the pandemic.
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Despite a Crowdfunder smashing its £50,000 target, manager Freyja – who has run the venue for the past six years – worried about going it alone.
Owner Lauren Pears revealed that just a day before the café’s planned closure on 25 June, a surprise offer changed everything.
“At the 11th hour, a very well-loved regular came to the café to collect a cat they were adopting,” Lauren explained.
“We told them the current price and situation, and they said, ‘For that price I’ll buy it.’”
The unnamed investor has now stepped in, agreeing to mentor Freyja as she takes Lady Dinah’s forward.
While the original Shoreditch venue won’t reopen, plans are underway for a relaunch elsewhere, with donors asked if they’d allow their contributions to continue supporting the café’s future.
All of the resident cats have since been rehomed, but loyal fans have been celebrating the news online.
“I screamed while watching this! I’m so glad Lady Dinah’s got a happy ending,” wrote one supporter.
Another added: “This is amazing news… I am sad it won’t be at the same venue, but so happy it’s continuing.”
Lauren also confirmed that outstanding gift vouchers will be honoured once the café reopens, though no timeline has yet been set.
For many, the rescue feels like the perfect ending. As one fan put it: “Best news ever… I wish Freyja & team all the best for new doors opening up.”
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