Embracing the Dark: Horror-Themed Shops and Cafes on the Rise

In the heart of Chicago, a unique trend is taking shape. Horror and gothic-themed shops and cafes are popping up, offering a haven for fans of the macabre. These places are not just for Halloween; they are a year-round destination for those who love the dark and eerie.

Jackalope Coffee & Tea

Location: South Side

Walls adorned with "Night of the Living Dead" posters
A room painted black with a tapestry of a Victorian woman haunted by a vaporous skull
Owners: January Overton and John Almonte

The Brewed Coffeehouse

Location: Avondale

Filled with horror memorabilia, including a "Dark Shadows" board game and a "Creature from the Black Lagoon" plate
Owners: Jason Deuchler, Nick Mayor, and Jen Lemasters
Recent Sunday Halloween market attracted over a thousand customers

Loaves + Witches Coffeehouse

Location: Edgewater

Owners: Julia Goodmann and Lisa Harriman (practicing witches)
Offers a Coven Cold Brew and a Hex Your Ex Coffee Cake
Coffee from Hexe Coffee, featuring images of an eyeball impaled on a knife and a horde of demons and ghosts

Ghoulish Mortals

Location: St. Charles

Catering to horror movie fans
Filled with collectible horror movie tchotchkes and art prints
Owners: Dove Thiselton and Warwick Price

The Horror House

Location: Across the street from The Brewed

Sells a variety of horror-themed items, including "Friday the 13th" T-shirts and Pennywise fanny packs

Bucket O’ Blood Books & Records

Location: Avondale

Specializes in horror literature
Owners: Jennifer McKee and her partner
Started the store out of a personal need for small press horror and out-of-print sci-fi books

Wolfden Brewing

Location: Bloomingdale

Said to be haunted
Owners: Katie and Krys Wolf
Offers ghost hunting tours of the grounds
Experiences include plates flying and growls coming from the microphone during trivia night

Electric Funeral

Location: Bridgeport

Horror-themed bar owned by Overton and Almonte
Filled with coffins and a skeleton bartender
Mix of reactions from customers, from awe to fear

The Final Girl

Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin

Small horror-themed neighborhood bar
Owner: Chelsea Vecchione
Creates a space to focus on beer and Wisconsin, while representing herself as a queer person in a male-dominated area

These places are more than just shops and cafes. They are communities for those who love the dark and eerie. They offer a place to gather, to share a love of the genre, and to embrace the horror lifestyle.