Georgetown cat cafe Crumbs & Whiskers reopens unionized after labor tensions

When Crumbs & Whiskers told staff it would close “until further notice,” assistant manager and union member Maddy Hanson said the job had already become a weekly whiplash of hours: “60 hours” one week, then “12 hours” the next. The Georgetown cat cafe on M Street NW reopened in late March, a little over a month after the Feb. 9 closure, with workers saying they are now unionized and operating under new workplace commitments that touch the day-to-day basics of restaurant life: schedules, tips and what happens when there is a problem on shift.

The shutdown hit a small staff hard. The GW Hatchet reported the closure left 12 employees without jobs “until further notice.” During the downtime, the cafe returned its cats to rescue partner Homeward Trails for foster placement and adoption connections, an operational reset that underscored how closely the business’s “guest experience” and labor model are tied together.

The organizing push began in early January, with multiple outlets citing a Jan. 11 request for voluntary union recognition delivered to then-manager Bryn Jacobs. After that, Jacobs quit, and the company split the role into national manager and D.C. branch manager, filled by outside hires Tayon Robinson and Natasha Lindon. Both left within about two weeks, and the cafe soon went dark.

Ownership publicly framed the Feb. 9 closure as a leadership problem, not a labor dispute, saying it needed to focus on “securing stable leadership and positioning the location for long-term success.” But workers had been raising workplace issues that are familiar across cafes and counter-service spots: inconsistent hours, unclear tip distribution, and fears of retaliation tied to organizing.

The union effort moved through the National Labor Relations Board. The GW Hatchet reported an NLRB election in late February and certification on March 3. The NLRB case database also shows an open unfair labor practice case, 05-CA-381153, filed Feb. 17, listing Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board, Workers United as the charging party and Crumbs & Whiskers KL L.L.C. as the employer.

Workers have pointed to safety as part of the stakes in a tight, high-touch space that mixes food service, animal care and constant customer interaction. Georgetown Voice and The Hoya reported workers cited safety concerns and referenced a February 2025 attempted forced-entry incident that left staff and guests barricading a door, alongside allegations of gaps in emergency procedures and responses to feline medical needs.

In reopening, employees said they won commitments focused on transparency and tip fairness, plus scheduling stability and grievance procedures. Owner Zari Ruhi, also known as Kanchan Singh, told WTOP she is “happy” for employees to have a voice “whether it’s directly talking to me… to a union… or both.” But even after the doors reopened, union members told WTOP they were still waiting to bargain, a reminder that certification can change the temperature at work immediately while the first contract can take longer to land.