Mala Yoga 011921 05-01192021223817

Kat Casey, owner of Mala Yoga Center, loves the “Mesa, rustic feel” and the vaulted ceilings at her new location at 5734 Monona Drive.




In this new feature, local economy reporter Natalie Yahr gets “In Your Business” with local entrepreneurs, discovering how they got where they are and what’s driving them now. 

Way back when, it was a Taco Bell. Then, from 2002 to 2018, it housed David’s Jamaican Cuisine and its signature jerk red snapper. Now, after months with brown paper covering its windows, 5734 Monona Dr. is kicking off 2021 as the new home of Kat Casey’s growing yoga studio for yogis of all ages.

The new site of Mala Yoga Center, formerly Monona Yoga Center, might not scream “yoga studio” from the outside, its brick walls and arched windows a reminder that it was once a place for drive-thru burritos. 

But Casey loves the “Mesa, rustic feel” and the vaulted ceilings. Light pours in, and the bright white walls evoke the Mediterranean. She’s looking forward to filling the place with plants and art.



Mala Yoga 011921 10-01192021223817

5734 Monona Dr., the new home of Mala Yoga Center, might not scream “yoga studio” from the outside, its brick walls and arches a reminder that it was once a a Taco Bell.




“It is so gorgeous. I’ve had a few people come in, and they’re just overwhelmed with the beauty of it,” Casey said, “and it’s not even all the way done.” 

For now, though, the studio regulars are perhaps a bit young to notice the finer points of the design. In March, even before state and local authorities implemented public health restrictions to control the spread of the coronavirus, Casey swapped in-person classes for Zoom sessions, and most classes are still happening online 10 months later.