Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Cusimano.
Hi Tony, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In short, I’ve always loved cats and coffee and saw a business opportunity since Baltimore didn’t have a cat cafe when we launched.
I was getting burned out working long hours remotely in the tech industry and wanted to start a small business to give back and connect more with the community. I have experience working as a barista in San Francisco, helping a friend launch a cafe outside Philadelphia in 2021, volunteering at animal shelters when I had time to give, and visiting cat cafes when I travel. So when I was ready to launch my first small business, I knew I wanted to start a cat cafe with emphasis on the cafe side of the business to support the cat side of the business.
In terms of branding, I thought an Italian disco-themed cat cafe would be something fun to set us apart from other cat cafes. I’ve never been to an Italian, disco, or Italian disco-themed cat cafe in my travels, and am half Sicilian by heritage. I wanted to build a menu inspired by the coffee culture I experienced while living with family in Italy, with emphasis on the taste of coffee without artificial flavors or lots of syrups or sweeteners. It’s been fun to get creative with our specialty drink recipes using traditional regional ingredients like pistachios and orange juice while researching the history of coffee in the Mediterranean region.
At the end of the day, I just want to make everyone’s day a little better. Whether that means making you a great cup of coffee, handing you a delicious croissant, laughing at the disco ball in our bathroom, watching an epic cat battle before you head into work, or giving a rescue cat a loving forever home, I hope we create a welcoming, safe space for our community to connect and re-energize.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Business was booming at first! Adjusting to a decrease in foot traffic after back-to-school was a challenge, and like any small business we sometimes struggle with staffing while we work around everyone’s life events and being human. We’ve also learned a lot about how to streamline our intake process for new rescue cats, getting them the healthcare they need, and details like which litters to use and what toys they seem to like the most. Tariffs have also hit us hard since they impact nearly all of the local businesses we partner with to source coffee, tea, ice cream, and more.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, I’m the founder and owner of the only cat cafe in Baltimore City! I’m pretty proud of officially getting 89 cats (and counting!) out of animal shelters, giving them a place to socialize outside of kennels, and placing them in forever homes.
My education is in economics, linguistics, and Japanese language and culture. My professional background is in sales and product development, specifically user experience research. I’ve always been fascinated by how we connect with each other as humans, and towards the end of my career in tech I enjoyed the challenge of balancing business needs while advocating for human-centered design.
One thing that sets me apart is my upbringing in a military family with first-generation American parents. Moving around every few years and visiting family in rural, suburban, and urban environments all over the world exposed me to lots of cultures and helped me feel less tethered to one place. I’ve always been more open to interesting opportunities like learning Japanese, studying abroad, and moving to Germany for a startup job.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
For finding a mentor, I’ve found the most success with tapping into my existing network. Most people I know were super supportive and excited when I told them I wanted to start a small business, and most wanted to help. Making an introduction or asking for a referral is a relatively low-lift way for those folks to help, and it seems like odds are you know someone or someone you know knows someone who has something to share on what you’re curious about if you ask.
I know it’s a little cliche, but I also recommend trusting your gut. Find the people you connect with or feel like you can trust. Sometimes constructive feedback or tough love is necessary, but I’d walk away from anyone or anything trying to cut you down, doesn’t fill your cup, or just gives you bad vibes.
For networking in general, I personally value authenticity the most. I don’t love it when conversations feel transactional, fake, or schmoozey. I prefer to be direct about what I want and what my intentions are, while being empathetic to what that means to the other person and how I might also be able to help them.
Pricing:
- $0 to visit the cafe and watch the cats through the glass!
- Drink prices starting at $2 in the cafe
- Food prices starting at $3.95 in the cafe
- $8.50 pints of Taharka Bros. ice cream!
- $10 per person (ages 3+) per 25-minute Cat Lounge session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.affogatto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/affogatto_baltimore/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/affogatto-baltimore
- Other: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-baltimores-cat-cafe-enhance-and-expand?attribution_id=sl:7ae5efb7-63e0-4a7c-a236-28218b217f14&lang=en_US&utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link
