The spooky coffee and book collaboration Toronto has been waiting for has finally arrived. Little Ghosts Bookstore pairs amazing beverages with horror novels on the north end of Trinity Bellwoods to create a cozy, safe space for readers and coffee lovers alike.
Opened in April of this year, Chris, the owner of Little Ghost Books, had been conceiving the idea of opening a store through the shutdowns. They were having trouble finding books they liked (having to special order from the US) and when the winter shutdown finally left them beyond frustrated, Chris figured it was time to look into a property.
The space had to be perfect; Chris wanted a cozy back-patio and beautiful display window that would flood the space with light. The moment they saw 930 Dundas Street West, Chris could visualize the bookstore/coffee shop that Toronto had been desperately craving. They already owned and operated a similar business, the Sidekick (a café and comic book store on Queen Street East), so it was a model they were already comfortable operating.
The bookstore is bright and open, so the black accents don't look heavy, there is a coffin-shaped selfie mirror, a little general-store selling coffee and other treats, and the bookshelf ladder any reader worth their two cents fantasizes about. The secret garden style cozy (and covered) back patio is filled with plants, red patio seating and naturally distressed wood. In the fall, look out for baskets of blankets and a heater (the coziness vibes are immaculate).
Chris sources all of Little Ghost Books' green coffee ethically from a farm; they roast the coffee themselves. The tea selection is also hand-sourced, and Chris makes all the tea blends with things like dried fruit and flowers. The scone and cookie snack offerings come from local bakeries. The signature drink menu at Little Ghosts includes Swamp Creature (a carbonated lemonade with a matcha float), Spooky Ghost (4 shots of espresso on vanilla steamed milk), Black Magic (smoked black maple tea made as a tea-latte), and Wolfsbane (raspberry lemon hibiscus iced-tea).
Chris really loves the community aspect of bookstores; make sure to follow Little Ghosts Instagram to be in the know for pop-ups, book signings, book launches, apple-cider seances and other events (including spooky movie nights, yes there will be a screen installed soon!). A recent pop-up collaboration Little Ghosts hosted was with Happily Ever Books, because everyone needs a little romance and horror in their lives. Chris wants this to be a safe space for everyone in the literary community to pick up a novel, sit down with a coffee and talk about books.
