Capitalizing on the success of the neighboring Lucky Cat Cafe & Lounge and Purrfect Day Cat Cafe, the Bardstown Road area will be welcoming a new animal cafe hybrid concept, the Komodo Cafe. Here, patrons will be able to order coffee, teas, seasonal beverages, bakery items, slabs of raw meat, and sandwiches and will then get to sit and mingle among natures largest predatory lizards: Komodo Dragons.
Komodo Cafe owner, Ben Kinser, says his dream was for people to sit, chill, and interact with his favorite animals so they can earn the love and respect they deserve in a safe space. Though he was quick to clarify that safety is relative, and waivers must be signed upon entry.
"Most people just know what they see on Nat Geo (sic), the snarling predators that can take down a deer, and they are that. Like, totally. But, you know, there's more to them."
When asked to elaborate, Kinser just shrugged. "I don't know, I just like lizards. I mean, who said cats are so great?"
The goal of the cafe is so far unclear, as adoptions don't seem to be an option and one out of three guests are hospitalized. Kinser pointed out, "Yeah, they aren't technically venomous, but their mouths are so packed with bacteria that just a nip from these guys means you're gonna have a bad day. Isn't that neat!"
Cafe patrons are having mixed experiences. Lucy Hargrove, a local who came in to check it out says she probably won't be back, "I sat down and opened up my laptop and one of those things hissed at me and took my slab of meat right off the table, it was scary."
Fellow visitor Dylan Minske, however, enjoyed his visit. While clutching a festering bite on his forearm, he gave the Cafe a glowing review. "I keep trying to pet the one at the zoo, but they keep kicking me out. Here they don't even care. I tried to ride one, that didn't go well, but it's all about the experience, the guys won't believe this!" Minske lost consciousness shortly after our talk.
When asked where he gets his animals, Kinser said simply, "I got a guy" and declined any follow up questions.