The competition is stiff these days for Americans’ hard-earned dollars.
One business did something that no one had before.
And a Florida café turned to one scary trick to lure customers in.
Florida café lets customers connect with giant South American rodents
Cat cafes have popped up throughout the country where customers can interact with a feline friend.
A Florida woman put a unique twist on the concept.
Stephanie Angel opened a café in St. Augustine, Florida where customers can interact with capybaras.
Capybaras are giant rodents native to South America and are a relative of the guinea pig.
Like beavers, they are excellent swimmers.
They can grow up to four and a half feet long and can weigh more than 150 pounds.
Giant rodents cuddle with visitors at the Capybara Cafe in Florida https://t.co/PQSVhhG5Iq pic.twitter.com/wykEKuZoGm
— Mike Schneider (@MikeSchneiderAP) April 12, 2025
Tucked away in the back of a real estate building near downtown St. Augustine is The Capybara Café where visitors can pet these giant rodents and feed them corn the cob.
Angel said her capybaras were comfortable around people.
“You give them lots of scratches and love,” Angel said. “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.”
Mocha is a male capybara that Angel said loves to have his belly rubbed and eat veggies while Late is an adventurous female who loves to swim.
The Capybara Café has been a hit with customers with reservations booked for months in advance.
Customers can opt for a $49 half-hour visit with the capybaras or a $99 hour-long experience that includes other animals like skunks, armadillos, and wallabies.
The Capybara Café concept takes off
Angel opened the café with the help of Noah’s Ark Sanctuary Inc., a wildlife refuge in Hastings, Florida.
The goal of the café was to raise awareness about the animals and increase support for conservation.
She plans to open another Capybara Café in St. Petersburg, Florida after the success of the St. Augustine location.
Leah Macri drove from Orlando with her daughter to visit the café.
“Their fur kind of feels like straw a bit,” Macri said about the capybaras.
Her favorite animal during the visit was the armadillo.
“He was the cuddly, like the best. He was just the softest,” Macri stated. “He was just very sweet.”
Visitors cannot get a coffee or food like the café’s name implies but they can pick up t-shirts, coffee mugs, and stuffed animals.
Chris Cooper drove more than 150 miles with his wife to visit the capybaras.
He was shocked about how bristly the fur was on the rodents.
“And I wasn’t expecting how affectionate they were,” Cooper said. “They enjoyed the hands-on rubs.”
Some zoos and wildlife parks offer capybara encounters, but Angel is believed to operate the only café dedicated to the South American rodent.
The Capybara Café offers one of the most unique wildlife encounters in the country with these oversized South American rodents.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
