Goodwill’s Cat Connection opens Lincoln’s first cat café

Earlier this month, Goodwill Industries Serving Southeast Nebraska, Inc. officially established Cat Connection as Lincoln’s first cat café.

Goodwill opened Cat Connection in March 2026 as a space where members can relax and hang out with adoptable cats from Capital Humane Society. Cats enjoy cozy, temporary housing and social connections while members enjoy the mental health benefits of cat interaction.

Now, members can add to their visit by buying a coffee drink from Goodwill’s onsite training café, “Ellie’s.”

“We are excited to offer specialty lattes to our Cat Connection members,” said Alana Sesow, communications director at Goodwill. “Downtown Lincoln is already home to many amazing coffee shops, so we didn’t need another coffee shop; we needed a cat café.”

Ellie’s will also strengthen Goodwill’s mission of “willing workers employed and community resources maximized” by providing food-service skills training opportunities to individuals who qualify for Goodwill’s program. Goodwill will continue developing these opportunities to best meet the needs of its clients.