By Tim Binnall
In an unfortunate story out of North Carolina, a gothic-themed coffeehouse that celebrated all things spooky was forced to close its doors after significant backlash from fearful community members. According to a local media report, Nocturna Coffee & Oddities opened for business last October in the city of Salisbury. The unique eatery, which featured psychic events and a room packed with weird curios, was seemingly well received by residents until things took a troubling turn the following month at the community's annual holiday parade.
The issue at hand was a Krampus-themed float that the coffeehouse had created for the event and, when unveiled, was pelted with rocks and sticks by churchgoing children. “Everyone thought that Satan was riding through Salisbury,” co-owner Madison Moore recalled, "we don't practice anything; we just like weird stuff." In the weeks and months that followed, she said, Nocturna was subjected to repeated threats and harassment from misguided community members unhappy with the 'unholy' eatery.
“It was endless, and my peace was being taken from me,” Moore mused, "what started out as a dream and something really fun to go to became a place of fear for me." After the harassment continued through January and showed no sign of abating, she and her husband ultimately decided to shut the business down last week. Nocturna's closing announcement was met with dismay from community members who appreciated the eatery's unique atmosphere. To that end, one resident called the coffeehouse a "wonderful addition to the small town boredom that Salisbury has to offer," and another described its sudden demise as a "huge loss."
Meanwhile, Nocturna's critics celebrated the news with surprisingly vociferous social media posts that provide a glimpse of the kind of messages Moore had received over the past several months. "Praise the Lord! Now I just hope you never open back up," wrote one individual, who was echoed by another detractor declaring, "I personally don't want them in any town!" For her part, Moore hopes to revive the coffeehouse in a larger community, such as Charlotte or Concord, where its unique atmosphere will be more welcomed or, failing that, develop Nocturna into a mobile business.