TBH Tina

[No Reservations] Patsy’s – Great American Restaurants

“Food is common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard

If you’re from Northern VA you’ve probably heard of the Great American Restaurants (GAR) family or at least one of their restaurants. They currently have 13 restaurants – 12 being in Northern VA and the last in Gaithersburg, MD. Sweetwater Tavern and Coastal Flats are probably their most well-known with each having three locations.

GAR is not only known for the food but for their great service and for being a great company to work for. They’ve even been on Washington Post’s Top Workplaces list for the past five years. In 2018 they came in at Number 2 for large companies.

Randy and Patsy Norton are the patriarchs of these fantastic restaurants and the family that leads them, and after 50 years together and almost just as long in the hospitality industry, they’ve finally agreed (with much persuasion from their children) to open two new restaurants with their names.

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[Take Me to the Movies] Endgame

“I am Iron Man.” – Tony Stark

IT’S FINALLY HERE. IT’S FINALLY HERE! Don’t worry, I will not mention any spoilers here. I might write a thoughts post later on, with spoilers, maybe but for now, I won’t spoil anything.

As time got closer and closer, my anxiety started to go up – I’m not even kidding. I saw Endgame on Thursday night at 7 pm. On Tuesday night I was laying in bed about to go to sleep when I jolted up with this panic and a theory in mind. I don’t even want to tell you what my theory was but let’s just say, it was right – and I cried.

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Crumbs & Whiskers Cat Cafe

“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” – Sigmund Freud

You guys, I finally got to visit a cat cafe! What is a cat cafe, you ask, well let me tell you. Cat cafes are a dedicated space that cares for adoptable cats and partners with a local cafe to provide coffees, drinks, pastries, etc for visitors of the cafe. The main mission is to save cats and help them get adopted!

We actually stopped by on a whim. We had plans for an event across the street from Crumbs & Whiskers and had time to spare, so we decided to stop in. I think it cost about ~$15 for 30 minutes. It may seem like a lot of money but it’s for a great cause.

All of the money goes towards caring for the cats, rent for the space, and paying the employees. The cost of food/drinks is extra, which is provided by a local cafe. Since C&W is facility that houses animals, they can’t legally prepare and serve anything edible so the food is prepared at the cafe then brought over throughout the day.

The specific location we visited was the Georgetown location. There is also a location in LA and a pop-up kitten only location also in Georgetown. Homeward Trails Animal Rescue is the official partner for the Georgetown location, providing them with the cats and manages the adoption process.

Crumbs & Whiskers has saved thousands of cats from euthanization, thousands of cats have been adopted, and thousands upon thousands of dollars have been donated to charity.

When you visit, if it is your first time, they will give you a speech about the location, cause, cats, and do’s & don’ts. The cats wear collars for you to identify their gender and a second special collar if they’re sassy. Sassy meaning they don’t like to be touched, they might swat at you, or just may not be friendly. They ask that you do not pick up a cat unless they in a basket with handles, and then in which case you can pick up the basket with the cat in it. If the cat comes to you and lays on your lap, or loves up on you, then woohoo!

There’s an upstairs and downstairs where guests can hangout. There’s also a lower level that they call the cat spa, which is where the cats go to potty, eat, and be cared for – employees only! Folks who can work remotely can also pay to spend the day there with the cats. There is seating galore (for the size of the space). They also provide toys for you to play with them!

The cats all seemed to get along while we were there and to be honest, I would’ve loved to adopt one. However, a lot of the cats already had adoption forms submitted for them – WHICH IS AMAZING! They do have some “resident” cats who have been there for a while, but they’re happy and well taken care of.

There are tons of other cat cafes now, but this is the first one I’d ever heard of (years ago) and I’m so happy I finally had the opportunity to visit. There is a cat cafe opening near us this summer and I am so excited. They’ll have to get used to seeing me!

Have you ever been to a cat cafe? Or somewhere else with a similar mission? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

Until next time.

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