Pebbles Kitty Cat Café

Pebbles Kitty Cat Café is located at Hoogstraat 30A in the center of Rotterdam. According to its own information, the café opened in September 2016. Around the time of opening, Friederike Haumann was named as the founder and owner, described at the time as a Rotterdam-based IT specialist. In the lead-up to the opening, she utilized crowdfunding and coordinated with the municipality.

The concept centers around a café space with resident cats. The café’s own communications mention eight house cats as part of the experience. Visitors can enjoy coffee or tea, alongside sandwiches, cake, or other sweet treats. Board games, books, and working on-site are also mentioned as possible activities within the café.

The presence of cats defines a significant part of the business operations. The house rules ask visitors to let the cats initiate contact. Sleeping cats must not be woken, and cats may not be picked up. There is also a double-door entry system at the entrance to prevent cats from wandering outside. This demonstrates that the animal aspect is fully integrated into the daily practice of the café.

In August 2023, a change of ownership took place. Ownership passed from Rachèl to Marjolein Krijgsman, who, according to official communications, was already known to the staff. This gave the café a new owner following its founding phase, while the existing concept remained intact.

For coffee drinkers, the menu is the most relevant part. The menu from April 2026 features the logo of Heilige Boontjes in the coffee section. Additionally, Pebbles has stated that their coffee is brewed using beans from Heilige Boontjes. The available information provides no further specifications regarding origin, roasting profiles, or individual coffee varieties on the menu.

The menu lists filter coffee and various espresso-based drinks. These include espresso, doppio, cappuccino, latte macchiato, flat white, koffie verkeerd, and iced latte. Extra options are also available, such as an extra shot of espresso, oat milk, soy milk, whipped cream, and syrups. Mentioned flavors include vanilla, hazelnut, salted caramel, caramel, and pumpkin spice.

Alongside coffee, the menu also features matcha latte, taro latte, chai latte, and affogato. The latter is described as espresso with vanilla ice cream. Other manual brewing methods, such as V60, Aeropress, Chemex, or French press, are not documented in the public information examined. Consequently, the coffee offering is primarily characterized as a menu of filter coffee and espresso-based drinks.

A key part of the recent positioning is the partnership with Pameijer. Pebbles mentions that this collaboration began in April 2021. According to their own information, clients from Pameijer work in the kitchen and front-of-house. They also assist in keeping the café clean and caring for the cats.

Pameijer describes Pebbles as a workplace. Participants can prepare sandwiches, brew coffee and tea, wash dishes, take orders, and serve customers under guidance. Maintaining the premises and caring for the cats are also part of these tasks. Additionally, Pebbles mentions that clients from the Pameijer ICT Academie assist with the management and updates of the website.

The café also organizes activities beyond its regular café functions. The official events page mentions, among other things, a cat-themed painting workshop and a candle-making workshop. The reservation page also lists an Easter brunch on Sunday, April 5, noting that advance booking is mandatory. These activities fit into a broader vision of the location as a community meeting place, without replacing its primary function as a coffee spot.

Regarding sustainability and sourcing, a distinction must be made between statements from Pebbles and statements from suppliers. Pebbles lists Heilige Boontjes as the coffee bean supplier. Heilige Boontjes states that it helps young people find their place in society again. The supplier also reports that it provides sustainable coffee, purchased from farmers at a fair price.

The sustainability information from Heilige Boontjes mentions certified products, direct trade routes with Pure Africa Coffee, and a contribution of one euro per kilo sold from the “Hier en Daar” line to the Pure Africa Foundation. Fairtrade, Oxfam Novib, Rainforest Alliance, coffee ground recycling, recycled materials, and electric cargo bike delivery are also mentioned. These points are supplier claims and not a separately established policy of Pebbles.

For other products, Pebbles mentions a collaboration with Blooming Bakery. This includes apple tart, mango cheesecake, and cookies. Blooming Bakery is described as a social enterprise of Fier, where people who have experienced violence can develop their talents and take steps toward the labor market.

The menu uses icons for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, organic, and hot or cold. A separate, proprietary sustainability statement for the operations of Pebbles is not documented in the public information examined. Furthermore, no formal price lists or award recognitions for Pebbles were found in the available data.

Pebbles Kitty Cat Café occupies a unique niche within Rotterdam by combining coffee, light fare, and the company of cats. Local publications highlighted its opening in 2016, focusing on the crowdfunding campaign and the eight resident cats. Subsequent mentions primarily emphasize the cat café concept, its central location, and the blend of drinks, food, and animals.

For the specialty coffee sector, Pebbles is primarily relevant as an example of a café where coffee is part of a broader social and thematic concept. While available information provides insight into the supplier and menu structure, it lacks technical details regarding extraction, roasting, or bean origin. Consequently, its public profile focuses less on coffee technique and more on the concept, collaboration, and location.