SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) - ArkLaTex cat lovers rejoice because the lower Mississippi River Valley has an interesting history of cat-themed restaurants. An old legend warns that it's bad luck for a black cat to cross your path. But what happens when you cross the path of a black cat? Because that's what countless people did in the ArkLaTex during the 1930s and 40s when Black Cat Cafe was a popular name for area restaurants. The fad seems to have begun in Plain Dealing, a little town that's not to far from the Red River in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. We don't know when this restaurant, the likely first of Black Cat Cafes, began. But we do know it was open in 1931. Clipping about the Black Cat cafe in Plain Dealing, Louisiana, taken from pp. 5 of The Shreveport Journal, Nov. 5, 1931 By 1940, there was a Black Cat Cafe and Restaurant at 523 East King's Highway in Shreveport. We know this because of an ad they placed in The Shreveport Journal that welcomed the United Gas Co. to the city. The Black Cat Cafe and Restaurant advertisement from the Mar. 2, 1940 Shreveport Journal. In 1941, the Caddo Fixture Company sold all the fixtures from the Black Cat Cafe, though we don't know which Black Cat Cafe. For sale were 60 Bentwood chairs, 12 cafe tables, 12 double booths, a cigar case, a cash register, and more. They even sold the pots and pans, sinks, and dishes. Black Cat Cafe offers dog vaccinations in The (Shreveport) Times, Oct. 4, 1945. By 1945 there was a Black Cat Cafe in El Dorado, Arkansas. We know this because The (Shreveport) Times reported about that a "few hundred dollars worth of provisions was destroyed when fire was discovered in the stock room over the Black Cat cafe on the corner of the court square earlier in the day. The building was undamaged." On a related note, the C laboratory at Root Refinery, which made 100 octane gasoline, also burned. The Black Cat Care on Barksdale Boulevard applied for their permit to sell beer in October of 1945. In 1946, a veterinarian visited the Black Cat Cafe in Bossier City. For only $1.50, you could have your dog vaccinated at the Black Cat Cafe, presumably while you ate dinner. Yes, really. In December of 1946, Dorothy Porter applied to sell beer at the Black Cat Cafe and Lounge on Sprague Street in Shreveport. And last but not least, a Black Cat Cafe on Shelbyville Street in Center Texas, owned by Zeno Holt, was sold to Pete Ellington. Unfortunately for Pete, Zeeno kept the name. And in a somewhat comical move, Pete renamed it the White Kitchen Cafe. Do you wish you could step back in time and dine at a Black Cat Cafe? Because you can. One restaurant in the ArkLaTex still bears the eerie yet delightful name that was once immensely popular in the region. Black Cat Cafe in El Dorado, Arkansas offers "authentic Mexican flavors and beloved American Classics." They say they have something for everyone, from zesty carnitas to crispy, fried catfish. Ask for a "Fat Cat Steak" or a "Cat's Meow Burger." They're located at 117 East Main Street. And no, it's not bad luck to eat there.