Summer 2024

Business Borrower Feature: Wired Whisker

Entrepreneur brings cat cafe concept to northeast MN

Misha Smith cut the ceremonial red ribbon upon opening her unique small business this spring.

The story behind Wired Whisker is one of both hustle and heart.

Misha Smith worked full time in tech marketing by day while volunteering after-hours with animal rescue organizations. This past year, Smith landed on the purr-fect way to meld her two passions into one cool business.

Cat cafes, introduced in Asia, are gaining popularity in the U.S. They pair the low-key atmosphere of a coffee shop with the option to interact with four-legged friends. Wired Whisker not only cultivates calm – pets are proven mood-boosters – it also directly supports cat shelter and adoption.

It was a fast track. Smith found a building in Duluth's Endion neighborhood and set to work. She and her family (dad is a general contractor) renovated top to bottom. She closed on the sale in November and opened Wired Whisker in June.

Several regional organizations contributed financing and technical assistance: Northland Foundation, Member’s Cooperative Credit Union, Entrepreneur Fund, and City of Duluth 1200 Fund. Northland participated in a term loan originated and serviced by MCCU.

"We were able to apply U.S. Department of Treasury CDFI capital since the building is located in a qualified census tract," explained Amanda Vuicich. "There's such a strong resource network for small businesses in our region, this project being a great case in point."

The coffee shop is up front, separate from the enclosed cat lounge in back. There's also a pet friendly patio. The divided design meets health and safety guidelines and helps maintain a stress-free environment for both cats and humans. People wanting a feline-fix can book lounge time online for a minimal fee or even take a yoga-with-cats class.

In the waiting area outside the cat lounge, Misha Smith (right) describes the serious rescue mission underlying the fun coffee-and-cats theme.

Wired Whisker is open 7 AM-7 PM Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays) at 1823 E. Superior Street, Duluth.

Promise Act Loans are now available for eligible small businesses

The Northland Foundation has 3% small business loans up to $500,000 for owner-occupied commercial construction and rehabilitation projects. Capital is made available through the State of Minnesota’s Promise Loan Program. Loans can be used for:

• Land Acquisition, Development, Redevelopment,
• Demolition, Site Preparation

• Predesign, Design, Engineering
• Repair, Renovation of Real Property, Capital Improvements, Relocation

Eligible borrowers must have been in business at least since 2021 and had less than $1 million in revenues as shown on their 2021 tax returns.

Contact us for more details.

Michael Colclough

Business Services Director

Amanda Vuicich

Small Business Lender

Suzanne Rauvola

Systems Manager

northlandfdn.org