Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Remembering Kelli Steward, founder of Gatos and Beans [VIDEO]
Reading time: 2 minutes
Kelli Steward, co-owner of Birmingham’s first cat cafĂ© Gatos and Beans, passed away this weekend according to social media posts made on Sunday.
A post from Alford Avenue Veterinary Hospital, where Steward was an employee for decades, said she passed from a “short fight with a very serious illness.”
Remembering Kelli Steward
In 2022, Bham Now featured Kelli Steward in our “Birmingham Passion” series. Steward spoke about her love for cats and how Gatos and Beans got its start in Avondale.
Steward, known in the community as a spirited and compassionate animal lover, was passionate about using her business to shelter and find homes for countless cats in the Birmingham area. Nearly five years ago, Gatos and Beans became a safe haven where customers could interact with, and even adopt one of the cafĂ©’s resident cats.
A post made on Kelli’s Facebook page reads:
“Kelli is gone from this world. I don’t have the words to convey the loss of one like her. Things didn’t matter much to her. People and pets and lost animals were her passion. We need very little in this world. Like Kelli we can give back to those who are in need.
Please give too your charity of choice rather than flowers and cards. The world is a sadder place today.”
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