Ontario’s first bunny café opens in Belwood

A food truck in Belwood is offering up a hopping good time for customers.

The Mad Hatter Bake & Brew is offering customers a chance to enjoy a snack, while hanging out with some bunny rabbits. It’s believed to be the first bunny café in the province.

The idea stems from creator Sarah Murray’s struggles throughout the pandemic.

She used to have a bakery that supplied special events but when work slowed down due to COVID-19, she started falling into a depression. The only thing that cheered her up was when her boyfriend arrived with a rabbit one day.

Murray purchased more furry pals and eventually decided to combine her love of hospitality with her knowledge of agriculture.

“You're kind of not really just coming to a food truck or to a bunny cafe or a petting zoo. You're kind of coming to a living art project in a way,” Murray said. “This was my therapy and so I just wanted to share it and see if other people would get the same kind of positive lift from it that I did.”

The bunny café operated as a pop-up shop during concerts previously, but it officially opened as a more permanent fixture on Thursday. It will operate four days a week, Thursday to Sunday. Murray spends Monday to Wednesday baking and prepping for the week ahead.

“Belwood, which is an agricultural area, people are spread out. So that loneliness kind of, I worry about that kicking in I think a little bit more sometimes. So this is a place. We needed a community spot. So here it is,” Murray said.

The rabbits cannot be picked up but can be pet. A staff member is on hand to watch in case of any issues. There is also space under the trailer for the animals to go to in order to get some alone time.

“To kind of get away, it’s good that it's all completely voluntary. No animals are forced into any interactions,” Murray said.

So far, the café has been a hit with all kinds of customers.

“It really seems to be something that is wanted in the community. People are so excited. So I'm getting moms with kids and I'm getting seniors,” Murray said.

“We’ll definitely come back. Our girls really like the Kitty Cafe in Guelph. So this is sort of a new take on that. Keeps it interesting for them,” said Melanie Berard, a customer who brought her kids.

“It's just nice to have a peaceful coffee, because she's entertained. So it works really well for us,” Lucy Isherwood, another parent said.

“We just wanted to hang out with the bunnies and see what this was all about,” Adrianna Damota, a parent said.

The kids also seem to love it.

“You get to pet bunnies,” Elodie Berard said.

“Because you get bunnies and you get food. And the cookies are good,” said Sofie Berard.