Making Success So Very Sweet: Anita To

To say that the workload imposed by UChicago renders life difficult would be the grossest of understatements. 2^nd year Anita To, however, is making campus a little sweeter, all the while contributing to a charitable cause.
 

The Biology and Visual Arts major recently began selling an impressive assortment of goods through The Crazy Cat Lady Café, an independently-owned, underground café that she owns along with her good friend, Lizzy Zale. With a menu that features experimental baked goods and drinks–all made in a South Campus kitchen–the Crazy Cat Lady Café has been receiving orders from students online, the goods then delivered anywhere on campus free of charge. Although Anita currently does a large portion of the baking herself and has even suffered through all-nighters centered around the oven, Anita notes that Lizzy and her other friends have helped out tremendously in her baking efforts. 
 
The idea of the Crazy Cat Lady Café was randomly conjured up during a conversation between Anita and Lizzy, the pair bonding over their love for baking and, you guessed it, cats. Yet the two ladies did not act on the idea until Anita’s acceptance to the UChicago’s Japan Rebuild team. Anita recognized that the café, if actualized, could potentially raise a great amount of funds and aid in generating the team’s goal of $10,000. So for this spring and summer season, Anita and Lizzy will donate all their proceeds to aid in the rebuilding effort in tsunami disaster regions of Japan.
 
According to Anita, the response to the café has been amazing thus far. Along with her baking gang, Anita has been furiously baking, shopping, delivering and decorating in order to meet customer’s demands and ensure that all their products are fresh and of the highest quality. Despite the process being rather exhausting, Anita expressed how humble and excited she felt by the café’s success.
 
Anita and Lizzy have entertained the idea of opening a physical space in which to sell their treats once fundraising goals are reached, especially after observing the influx of orders and positive feedback by customers. If such plans are realized, the café will offer even more goods, Anita talking of several menu changes and additions.

Want to order a little somethin’ somethin’ but feel overwhelmed by the list of choices? Anita believes her best  goods include the Ultra Banana Bread,  Tres Leches and S’mores cupcakes, and her Strawberry Scones; Lizzy’s crowning achievement is her Quadruple Chocolate Brownie. Just last week, I ordered the Chocolate Avocado and Strawberry cupcakes as well as an order of Mango Lassi, all of which were delicious and devoured (sadly) within seconds. Immediately upon consuming my treats, I flipped open my laptop to make a second order. I will be expecting three kinds of scones with an iced Chai tea latte on the side. And I must say, I can not wait.

Forget about the UChicago phoenix; let’s welcome our new feline friends. They come bearing sweet, sweet gifts.