Horror-themed SCREAM & SUGAR Coffee Company serves a spine-tingling cafe experience
Oct. 24, 2025
Photo provided by Nic Johnson
Rotating lineups of drinks honoring eerie cinema and a cozy, yet creepy, ambiance allow SCR3AM & SUGAR Coffee Company to keep the spirit and suspense of spooky season alive all year long.
Based in Denver, the horror-fan-run coffee shop works with local fright-focused businesses to share their passion for café fare and scary films with like-minded people.
The shop’s spooky cinema theme is very personal for Owner Nic Johnson; she has found joy, relief and escape in horror since she was a kid, but only a few people seemed to appreciate it as much as she did. She appreciates the art and storyline depth the genre has to offer, as well as the silly fun it can have.
She channels the lightness found in some of her favorites, like “Bride of Chucky,” into SCR3AM & SUGAR’s menu.
They have five seasonal drink menus, one for each season and Valentine’s Day, and a standard lineup with drinks, café food staples and flavored popcorn bowl mixes.
Johnson highlighted and described some of the standout drinks:
She said her favorite is one of their house drinks, The Cinnabite Latte; this drink has cayenne honey, cinnamon and a hint of chocolate flavor from a mocha drizzle.
Her favorite seasonal creations so far have been the Tiffany Valentine for Valentine’s Day, which she described as “a bloody white chocolate-raspberry latte with sparkly pink whip,” and the summertime Gordy’s Revenge, which is a Nutella and banana-flavored cold brew with foam and a dark chocolate drizzle.
She noted that their most popular house drinks are the “Somethin’ Wicked” and “Hiya, Georgie!” lattes.
Photo provided by Nic Johnson
Johnson noted that she uses a research and pun-filled process to come up with each drink menu.
“I research seasonal flavors every time and try to come up with something fun and creative with flavors, and then, it's a lot of brainstorming horror references to tie in a punny drink name,” she said.
The thrilling theme doesn’t just stop with drink names; it extends into unifying experiences.
The café has a corner dubbed their movie lounge, complete with seating, games, coloring supplies, books and a screen that plays horror movies all day long.
They also partner with Creepatorium, a local event venue, and use their space to offer special horror movie nights on the second Wednesday of each month.
Johnson encourages SCR3AM & SUGAR supporters to check out events at Creepatorium and HORRID, a horror gift shop, especially with Halloween fast approaching.
October is the busiest time of the year for the café, with people waiting in lines that stretch outside the building for hours each day.
Johnson shared that remembering the initial mission of building a “strong and spooky coffee-centered community” keeps everyone going through the rush.
This mentality has recently allowed the team to reach significant milestones. In August of this year, SCR3AM & SUGAR celebrated two years of business and work creating that community.
The coffee shop hasn’t always been in a brick-and-mortar space with a team to manage it. It used to be a pop-up stand Johnson worked by herself in the back room of HORRID.
Going from running a solo stand to having a staff of seven and a space next to HORRID has been a significant change for Johnson; she and her team had to learn all the nuances and overcome the obstacles of running a small business with limited prior experience.
She credited them for being a source of support and for playing a role in SCR3AM & SUGAR’s growth.
“I wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for the support from my staff, and I owe a massive part of our success to them,” Johnson said.
She also credits the coffee shop’s success to local collaborations, recommending that aspiring business owners build connections with similar businesses and establish a sense of community.
“Doing anything alone, no matter how prepared you feel, just makes your journey unnecessarily harder. Community is everything. Network, meet with people, see how your visions align and then jump into something together,” Johnson said.
In the future, Johnson hopes to open a second SCR3AM & SUGAR location, but for now, they will continue carrying “the SCR3AM experience and vibes” through Halloween and beyond.
Those interested in getting announcements as they are made can follow SCR3AM & SUGAR on Instagram and TikTok. Information on upcoming events can also be found on Creepatorium’s website.
