Two Cats Café is the place to be

By KORA WILSON Sept. 12, 2017

MUNCIE, Ind. – Restaurants around the city are the typical scene you see in every small town: burger joints, Mexican places, coffee shops. But in the middle of the village, a section of town not too far from Ball State University campus, sits a small building with big aspirations.

Across the side of the red brick building stretches a large mural depicting two cats, blue and yellow, their eyes beckoning you to go inside. Opening the door, a delicate wind chime clinks against the glass and a small set of stairs leads down to the smiling face of a server.

Over a year-and-a-half ago this building stood dark, looming, and sad at the edge of the village but since that faithful day in January of 2016 it has transformed into the perfect place for students of different paths to intermingle, dine and study.

Two Cats Café was started by Basam Helwani, who also happens to run and own Damask, another popular place in town for students and community members alike. The café offers Mediterranean cuisine, focusing largely on vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free choices. Two cats also offer a selection of wines, beers, and special on tap brews. Not only does two cats serve great options for those with different tastes, but it also offers a section for hookah as well. With a large list of flavors, patrons can sit outside to smoke or on the small inner patio just beside the door of the establishment. The big open windows help filter the smoke outside, without displacing patrons.

With several staircases, walls covered in art, an uncovered ceiling, and plenty of seats for students and residents, Two Cats Café allows a break from the outside world and gives a sense of serenity and connection to those who dine-in. The laid-back atmosphere appeals to all who enter, and customers leave with a sense of peace. Its unique twist on cuisine and style draws in diverse types of people who find that it is the place to be.

Two Cats Café is partnering with ARF, a local animal shelter here in Muncie that helps find the right homes for cats in the area. The ZenDen, better known as an actual Cat Café is situated right beside Two Cats. It would offer not only a space to relax for residents and students, but also cats to pet and play with. Plans to expand are being set into motion but a definitive date for the opening of the Cat Café has not been announced.

But the biggest bonus about the restaurant is the way it views its employees. The café is staffed by students who are looking to get experience in the hospitality field. “Employees have the opportunity to impact the business and change it for the better.” Said Rachel Walker, one of the managers at Two Cats Cage. “Their opinions matter and have influence in the establishment. In that way I think it's the best and most laid back place to work.”

Employees like Austin Miller, 21, love the atmosphere of the café. “I think it's a really laid back place that I like to hang out at even when I'm not working.” Said Miller.

Residents and former students agree that Two Cats Café is anything but ordinary, and a place that they gravitate to again and again.

“I started going to Two Cats soon after they opened and were still styling the interior. It immediately became my and my boyfriend's favorite little restaurant on campus,” said Brittany Wright, 21, a student at Ball State University. “I love the variety of different foods that they offer and the fact that they also have super affordable prices...even at the beginning, it felt very, very cozy and relaxed inside.”

Wright also believe that Two Cats Café brings to the village and new flavor of uniqueness that no other place could. “Kind of like White Rabbit, it's a niche thing that you probably wouldn't see in a city as small as Muncie without a customer base like a college campus. It's nice to have something in the Village besides just a couple chain places.” said Wright.

A long-time resident of Muncie, Jackson Nels-Thorson Eflin, 27, has been a patron to the café since its opening. “I think it's a delightful place,” said Eflin. “The excess of color contrasted with the simple, elegant menu and the openness of the kitchen to the public eye creates an inviting space that feels full of character - the uniqueness of the way the memories look makes me happy.”

Eflin also thinks the café brings to the village a new, rejuvenating feeling after seeing bar after bar try to succeed in the tiny section of town.

“For a very long time it's been bars bars bars, the mediteranean food might help move the village in the direction that will bring in people from not just Ball State but the wider Muncie Area seeking niche foods, and anything that unites Muncie with the community brings me joy.” said Eflin.

Two Cats Café is also hoping to start weekly events to bring in even more students and residents. This includes comedy night, poetry slams, belly dancing events, live music, karaoke and acoustic nights, game and movie nights and much more.