Capybara Cafe opens in Fort Lauderdale by Noah’s Ark Sanctuary, where visitors can pet, feed, and interact with capybaras and other animals.

Screenshot via Instagram/@visitlauderdale

Fort Lauderdale has a new place to hang out with the world’s most adorable—and largest—rodents. Capybara Cafe is now open at 744 NW Fifth Ave., bringing guided encounters with capybaras and a rotating group of animal ambassadors to Broward County.

However, guests should probably just save lunch elsewhere. The business describes itself as an animal encounter experience, and the menu for humans basically stops at bottled Pepsi products.

Visitors can pet and feed the capybaras during supervised encounters, though the animals decide whether to approach.

The café has no kitchen

The standard Capybara Lounge session runs 30 minutes and may include maras and ferrets, with reptiles and other animals joining the capybaras. Guests can also reserve a private encounter for groups of up to ten or book a longer Capybara + Friends session, which pairs the capybaras with at least one other animal ambassador.

An evening option called Sunset Safari skips the capybaras and brings out animals that may include an armadillo, opossum, or fennec fox. The lineup changes by session because the animals choose how much they want to participate.

Visitors can pet and feed the capybaras during supervised encounters, though the animals decide whether to approach. The lounge welcomes all ages, while some rooms may carry age restrictions. Closed-toe shoes are required, and phones and cameras are allowed.

The Fort Lauderdale location includes a cafe lounge, original artwork, viewing windows, and walk-in animal habitats. Anyone arriving hungry should know the capybaras will have better snacks.

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A rescue found an unlikely fundraiser

Noah’s Ark Sanctuary, a Florida nonprofit that cares for more than 100 animals, owns and operates the cafe. The organization says proceeds from bookings support its rescue, animal-care, and conservation-education work.

Stephanie Angel opened the original Capybara Cafe in St. Augustine in October 2024 after the sanctuary struggled to cover medicine and other expenses. The idea caught on fast. Angel told the Washington Post that the original location drew about 100 visitors per day, many of whom spent their sessions feeding and petting the animals.

A willing capybara may also climb into a visitor’s lap and settle in for scratches. Fort Lauderdale marks the group’s third Florida location after St. Augustine and St. Petersburg. Advance reservations are available online.

Capybara Cafe. 744 NW Fifth Ave., Unit 1111, Fort Lauderdale; capycafeftl.com. Now open.