Giant Rodents Are a Hit at Florida Cafe

In the heart of America’s oldest city, a unique attraction is drawing visitors from across the country to cuddle with the internet’s favorite giant rodents. The Capybara Cafe in St. Augustine, Florida, offers animal enthusiasts the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with capybaras in an intimate setting unlike any typical zoo experience, according to ABC News.

Nestled in the back of a real estate office building near the Flagler College campus, the cafe has become one of Florida’s hottest attractions since opening its doors in October. Hundreds of visitors have flocked to the unique venue for the chance to have these 100-pound South American rodents crawl into their laps for head scratches and cuddles.

“You give them lots of scratches and love,” explained Stephanie Angel, the cafe’s founder. “A lot of times they’ll climb on your lap because they’re very used to people, and if you’re really good at giving scratches, they’ll actually fall over. So that’s always our goal to get them so comfortable that they fall over.”

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More Than Just Giant Guinea Pigs

Capybaras – semi-aquatic relatives of guinea pigs – can grow to more than four feet long and weigh well over 100 pounds. Their sudden popularity has made them the latest in a succession of “it” animals that capture American fascination, following trends that previously elevated creatures like axolotls, hedgehogs, and sloths to similar cultural prominence.

During last year’s holiday shopping season, retailers capitalized on capybara mania with themed slippers, purses, robes, and bath bombs. But the Capybara Cafe offers something merchandise cannot – genuine interaction with these gentle giants in a controlled, comfortable environment.

The experience begins in a reception area with couches and an open pen of baby chicks. Visitors are then escorted in small groups to a more intimate room where blankets are placed over their laps before three capybaras are brought in to socialize with guests.

A Menagerie of Unexpected Friendships

While capybaras may be the headline attraction, the cafe offers encounters with several other exotic animals. Visitors might find themselves cuddling with a skunk, wallaby, or armadillo as these creatures freely roam among guests during the sessions.

Leah Macri, who recently visited from Orlando with her daughter, was surprised by which animal stole her heart. “Even though she had come for the capybaras, Macri enjoyed holding the armadillo the most,” Yahoo News reported. “He was the cuddly, like the best. He was just the softest,” she said. “He was just very sweet.”

The unexpected joy of discovering lesser-known animals is part of the cafe’s appeal, offering visitors a more diverse experience than they might have anticipated. A half-hour encounter costs $49 per person, while hour-long sessions, which include more time with the auxiliary animals, run $99.

Beyond Expectations: The Capybara Connection

Many visitors arrive with preconceived notions about what interacting with a capybara might be like, only to have those expectations upended by the reality of the experience. Chris Cooper, who drove 157 miles from Weeki Wachee to visit the cafe, expressed surprise at the animals’ physical characteristics.

“I wasn’t expecting how affectionate they were,” Cooper said after his visit. Many guests are also taken aback by the capybaras’ coarse hair, which Macri described as feeling “like straw a bit” – a stark contrast to their plush stuffed animal counterparts.

These gentle giants’ calm temperament and willingness to interact with humans make them ideal candidates for such close encounters, contradicting common assumptions about wild animals generally keeping their distance from people.

More Than Just a Business

Despite its name, The Capybara Cafe doesn’t actually serve coffee or hot food. Instead, it offers capybara-themed merchandise such as T-shirts, coffee mugs, and stuffed animals. According to Angel, the cafe was created primarily to financially support Noah’s Ark Sanctuary Inc., a Hastings, Florida-based nonprofit animal refuge.

This conservation-minded approach distinguishes the business from typical animal cafes, grounding the experience in a larger mission of animal welfare and education. According to Times of India, Angel plans to expand this vision by opening a second location in St. Petersburg, Florida, soon.

A New Chapter in Animal Tourism

While several zoos and wildlife parks across the United States offer capybara encounters, Angel maintains that none provide the same level of intimacy with the animals that visitors experience at her cafe. This unique selling proposition has helped the business stand out in Florida’s competitive tourism market.

The cafe’s overwhelming popularity – with reservations booked several months in advance – signals a potential shift in how Americans interact with exotic animals. Rather than simply observing creatures from behind barriers, visitors increasingly seek meaningful, tactile experiences that create lasting emotional connections.

As the Capybara Cafe prepares to expand to a second location, it appears these oversized rodents will continue their reign as Florida’s most unexpected tourism ambassadors, one lap cuddle at a time.

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