ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Animal cafes are becoming more popular around the state of Florida. Most are fun places where cats and dogs spend time with guests while enjoying a cup of coffee. But one café is doing something different.
The newly opened Capybara Café in St. Augustine has guests lining up to go one-on-one with large rodents.
Café creator Stephanie Martin and her husband say the animals, typically found in South America, are unique to the area.
“They are actually the world’s largest rodent,” said Martin of capybaras.
Martin, who owns the Noah’s Ark Sanctuary in Hastings, wanted a place to share her love for capybaras, so she opened the Capybara Café.
“The best part of my day is that I get to take care of animals everyday which is not work for me,” said Martin.
Describe by some as very large hamsters, capybaras are typically found in South America.
Martin says they love to eat.
“Oh, these little guys eat between 3 and 4 pounds a day. And that is just as babies. And when they are adults, they actually eat between 6 to 8 pounds of food a day each,” said Martin.
Animal cafes are growing across America, especially one’s featuring cats and dogs but are very common in other countries.
“In Korea they are very common and in Tokyo, Japan, they are very common, and I think in the Philippines they have some as well. This gives people the up close and personal vantage of these different animals,” she said.
Guests to the café may also encounter a tortoise, gerbils and even a python with plans to introduce other animals in the future.
Martin says reservations are highly recommended and are done through their website.
The cost for the capybara encounter is $49 per person and includes food to feed the animals.
There is also an exotic animal encounter that includes multiple animals and is $99 per person.
For more information, visit the Capybara Café in St. Augustine located at 105 S Ponce De Leon Blvd.
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