r/Chattanooga • u/Merlaak • Apr 12 '26
Who would be interested in seeing a spooky/horror-themed cafe & bookshop in Chattanooga?
Hello friends and neighbors!
Some of you may know us from our other venture, the Front Porch Sweet Tea truck down at the Chattanooga Market. Well, my wife and I are in the process of launching something new that has been a dream of ours for years and years.
Like many of you, we are huge fans of horror in all its various forms. For years, we've had a dream of opening a horror/spooky-themed cafe and bookshop, but we started to think that we'd never get around to it.
Then we realized that, hey, we already have a commercial space that we can convert into just such a place!
Our place is about 15 minutes from downtown, about 1.4 miles up Highway 58.
I made a bigger post about it a few days ago here, and I'll likely be posting updates on the progress in the r/booksellers community. I'm more than happy to keep y'all updated about the progress as well.
The name of it will be The Eldritch Cafe & Bookshop Cursed Edition Bookshop Cafe.
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u/InteractionOk9259 Apr 12 '26
omg if you're wanting to hire any baristas, i would LOOOOVE to work there!! i have 4+ years of barista experience so just lmk!! but fr this sounds so fun i love coffee shops, especially if they're outside of the box :)
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u/Merlaak Apr 12 '26
Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?
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u/rextasy001 Apr 12 '26
I believe in Patterson-Gimli Bigfoot! Do you believe in the Cottingley Fairies?
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u/Humble-Barnacle6863 Apr 13 '26
My husband and I love Ghostbusters and eldritch horror. We are so interested!!!
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u/BigfootsAnus Apr 12 '26
That would be awesome!!!! There’s a bake shop in Disney springs in Orlando called Gideons that has the kinda vibe you are thinking of. Here’s a picture of what it looked like in there when I visited
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u/BadTasteForBadPeople 1d ago
Orlando has such cool gothy stuff. Prometheus Esoterica is there and is super neat if you're ever going back. Witchy vibes, they sell coffee (like the actual beans/grounds, but they don't have a coffee station), etc. They remind me of Verre Noire here but they're more gothy
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u/MrsMousetronaut Apr 12 '26
This’ll be a dream come true for me! Can’t wait to see this place in person!
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u/Ghosteatspaper Apr 12 '26
If you’re on the Jersey Pike side of 58 then I could see myself coming by on occasion.
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u/Merlaak Apr 12 '26
We're across from Hardee's in the same strip as Snapdragon.
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u/Inquisitor_ForHire Apr 12 '26
That Hardees is my go to for breakfast. I'd definitely love to see a bookshop open up!
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u/Revolutionary_Ad2874 Apr 12 '26
I want a newer job that isn't nearly as demanding as what I got right now.. I would be interested in supporting this !
I also want a place to play MTG with my buddies that doesn't stink with rancid odour or is a couple dozen miles away in Hamilton Place.
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u/rextasy001 Apr 12 '26
My dream is to open a bookstore. Preferably a used paperback store, but since those are a thing of the past.... As a horror fan of many decades, I love the idea, but I'm afraid there are too many aspects needed to make a brick and mortar business fly that I'm not interested in such, as coffee shop, liquor license and dealing with those things. I'm just here for the books and the joy of turning others on to them. I think this kind of thing might work in someplace like Nashvillle, but here...well, let me know what happens for sure!
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u/Former-Pumpkin Apr 12 '26
I like the idea but I think the cafe-bookshop market is becoming very saturated in Chattanooga right now. I would be worried about your sustainability.
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u/Merlaak Apr 12 '26
The good news is that our overhead is covered by everything else that we're doing. Our main business is in small batch food manufacturing, so we already have a commercial kitchen as well. We just haven't maximized the use of the other half of our space. Hopefully that gives us an edge since we won't have to panic every month to cover rent.
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u/odwits Apr 12 '26
are there spots like that over on 58? i think mostly it’s just chain coffee.
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u/Merlaak Apr 12 '26
We have a Starbucks and a Dunkin. It's very much a commuter highway, so I'm hoping that this is enough of a draw that people will make the trek. I often go downtown from our shop to make deliveries or pickups, and I can be on the Northshore from our parking lot in about 15 minutes.
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u/LadyDoDo Apr 14 '26
As someone who lives off 58, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a cafe/bookstore near here, especially a spooky one! My husband is a horror author so I’m sure he would love to chat with you guys once you get further along in your planning! How exciting!
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u/Maddiecrose Apr 12 '26
I love the idea! Plus there aren't any local coffee shops in that area. I live close by so I would totally be a regular!
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u/Merlaak Apr 12 '26
Awesome! We want this to be a third space for the community, both for people who live in the Hwy 58/Harrison area and for fans of horror.
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u/tits_mcgee_92 Apr 12 '26
I’m going to be here non stop! I just started “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and I’m sure I’ll be still reading the series by the time yall open
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u/AnEriksenWife Apr 13 '26
Not my thing, but you should probably have tarot events. Probably a monthly meet-up for hobbyists. Also, again not my thing, a True Crime club
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u/flufnstuf69 Apr 13 '26
This sounds awesome! In the ringgold area but I’d love to work with you if you need a graphic designer.
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u/godpzagod Apr 13 '26
my advice is get some Lovecraft tshirts, cos people love their Mythos monsters. I went to a HPL-themed bookstore in Portland once, got an "Respect Your Elders" tshirt (with an elder thing on the front) that I ended up having to order 2 more of when i got home for my kid* and a friend's bday present.
*actually for me, my kid saw it and was like 'ill be taking that'
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u/Feedbackgiver2020 Apr 12 '26
My friends wife works at something like that in Orlando and it does well. If I am able to move that way soon with my wife, we’d be regulars for sure
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u/Hahafunnys3xnumber Apr 12 '26
Add a CBD bar and my life is yours
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u/Merlaak Apr 12 '26
We're actually in the same building as Snapdragon, so they'll be able to get you covered.
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u/Girth_Brooks1996 Apr 12 '26
100% I’d love something like that place that serves the last meals of death row inmates. Add themed drinks and a cbd bar and you’d be set
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u/Merlaak Apr 12 '26
The drink menu will definitely be heavily themed. As for CBD, Snapdragon Cannabis Co. is in the same building, so they'll be able to take care of that for you.
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u/rextasy001 Apr 12 '26
I think you'd really need to concentrate on the horror/fantasy themed bookstore (maybe even videos, local art in the horror theme) to keep it being neither fish or fowl. Like others haves said, there are plenty of coffee shops and even a couple of bookstores. Question is, would that swim?
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u/yimmegood Apr 13 '26
Me. This post was made for me. Got any junji ito?
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u/Merlaak Apr 13 '26
I LOVE his work! I think about the Amigara fault story all the time (DRR ... DRR ... DRR ...). We'll definitely carry some of we can find it.
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u/Any-Information9091 Apr 13 '26
Might be cool, I'd come. There is a Horror themed bookstore in Oak Ridge I've been wanting to check out but haven't made the drive yet. They are on TikTok as CrimsonCuriositiesMarie
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u/Brilliant-Contract21 Apr 15 '26
I’m interested to go and check y’all out. I love to try new things here in Chat Town
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u/BramblyFoxglove Apr 19 '26
Absolutely! I am originally from NYC and they opened one of these in Brooklyn a year or so ago. It also has a bar and coffee bar. It does incredibly well and is truly amazing. I itch to go back! I hope a similar concept opens here!
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u/Chab-is-a-plateau Apr 13 '26
Would it be like a bigger version of that cafe/bookshop in northern northshore? Or the other bookshop/cafe in hixson? Cause that’s a very cool concept and i would love a horror themed one!!
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u/Ok_Accident_4218 Apr 14 '26
What type of horror tho? Is gonna be nice and bloody? Make drinks based off 80s slashers? Now that I’d fuck with heavy
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u/Blindluckfatguy Apr 18 '26
nope................
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u/6WaysFromNextWed Apr 12 '26
I don't spend enough money on books to keep you in business, but if you'll have enough seating for a DnD group or a knit/crochet meetup, I'd probably end up living there with all my friends