El Smoko has become a celebrity of itself amongst Cappy’s regulars. Credit: Photo c/o Chris Preston

Have you ever been to a fundraiser where the main attraction is a cat? Cappy’s Pizzeria in Seminole Heights wants to give you the chance.

Next Thursday, Feb. 20, the Tampa staple celebrates the release of a new sticker featuring an image of El Smoko, the restaurant ‘s self-proclaimed patio guardian. And yes, El Smoko is a cat.

All proceeds collected at the event will go toward Chalky’s Cat Crusade and its mission to humanely reduce the population of homeless cats in the city through targeted trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR).

According to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, TNVR involves a volunteer caretaker who provides food, shelter and monitors the cats’ health.
“TNVR has been shown to be the least costly, most efficient and most humane way to stabilize cat populations,” its website states.

The fundraiser runs from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. and will feature El Smoko stickers available for $5 as a donation to Chalky’s, as well as raffle prizes, t-shirt sales as well as music by DJ Cub (aka Tampa artist and scene staple Chris Preston, who designed the sticker).

El Smoko has become a celebrity of sorts amongst Cappy’s regulars, leading to the creation of her own Instagram profile, @elsmokothecat, run by one of the restaurant servers, where he is seen hanging out with patrons while they enjoy their meal.

Katie Knaff, who’s served at Cappy’s for three-and-a-half years, said that Smoko just showed up one day and never left after the three owners started feeding her.

“[Smoko] is funny. She loves her people. After a shift, she likes to sit at the picnic tables with us and socialize,” Katie said. “She loves to be pet and can be very affectionate. Like most cats though, that can change in a moment and then she may let you know she’s done playing now with a small hiss or growl.”

“She has a pizza charm on her collar and she wears it well. She brings a saucy personality for sure. We feel lucky that she chose us.”
Knaff added that Cappy’s chose to partner with Chalky’s as its founder, Nicolle Thompson was “hugely instrumental” in Smoko’s health once the restaurant adopted her.

“She was able to get Smoko into the vet, get her spayed and all the shots she needed. Plus she needed help with some minor issues from her being in the streets for a while,” she said. “Smoko is healthy and happy thanks to [Nicole’s] efforts.”

There’s no cover for the El Smoko sticker release party and fundraiser happening Thursday, Feb. 20 at Cappy’s Pizzeria in Tampa.
UPDATED 02/16/25 7:36 p.m. Updated with comment from Cappy’s server Katie Knaff.

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This article appears in Feb 6-12, 2025.