Illinois Shop Serves Up Coffee with Extra Shots of Fright

Coffee’s place in our lives has evolved over the years. There were always coffee shops, but they weren’t ubiquitous. These days you can’t drive through a city mile without seeing a corporate coffee outlet or some variable coffee purveyor.

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With so many coffee options out there, you need to be able to stand out with your craft, OR—you can find a niche for your coffee shop to make it stand out. The Porter family in DeKalb, Illinois is banking on combining hearty brewed coffee drinks with horror…..(!!??!!) They are calling it “I Know What You Rented Last Summer”.

In addition to coffee, you will be able to rent an old horror movie, purchase horror art by local artists (??) and attend or participate in seasonal themed events. The beverages will have horror connected names.

DeKalb, Illinois

The Porters haven’t decided on a brick and mortar location in Dekalb yet, but their website is up with loads of info on their plans and it certainly delivers a vibe.

Coffee and Horror. Definitely a unique way to approach a popular business and stand out. The key will be to find that special balance of coffee goodness with horror evil. In the college town of DeKalb the Porters are banking on younger college age horror fans pounding coffee, and a tsunami of coffee fans who prefer a local business to an international chain.

Are niche businesses the future of restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream shops or bakeries? Are we entering a era where your products can be paired with unlikely partners for singular success? Stay tuned.