By rssfeeds-admin 
“Welcome in!” said Sheila Crites, the manager at Coffin House Coffee in Concord.
“Our motto here is celebrating life one cup at a time,” she said, as spooky steam emanated from the espresso machine in front of her face, almost on cue.
As you can tell from the name, Coffin House offers more than just pumpkin spice this Halloween.
Have no fear, the caffeine is here. It’s just what the doctor ordered at one of Dr. Lydia Adams’s favorite haunts.
“I love coffee, and I think just the name kind of spurred my curiosity,” said Dr. Adams.
Coffin House Coffee might sound like your worst nightmare. But not to worry, the shop is located in a business that folks have trusted for years.
“Inside a funeral home,” Adams laughed.
It’s located inside Hartsell Funeral Home.
Okay, so maybe I buried the lede.
Owner Coburn Hartsell’s great-great-grandfather, Jacob, came home from the Civil War and crafted furniture and caskets. That was the beginning of what is now a fifth-generation business.
A few years ago, Hartsell rolled the bones and opened Coffin House Coffee in a space that used to be a smoking lounge.
“We really use the coffee shop as a way to tell the story of the funeral home,” he told Queen City News.
Business at Coffin House Coffee took a couple of years to take off, thanks in large part to viral videos on social media.
Customer Michael Howard loves the concept to death.
“We’re celebrating life, not a funeral home,” Howard said. “Although it is really cool to go through there and see the coach.”
Down the hall from the shop, there’s a horse-drawn coach straight out of the 1860s, complete with a casket.
“This old thing?” Coburn joked.
Another attraction at the site is a 1960s-era hearse parked outside. The idea is to lure more people to the funeral home. Because if you haven’t been yet, maybe better latte than never?
“We say, ‘Come get to know us before you need us,’” said Hartsell. “Because most people never step foot in a funeral home, unless you have to go to a funeral, or you need a funeral.”
Crites says once skeptics get past the shop’s name and locale, they’re not dying to leave.
“They’re kind of weirded out by it first,” she admitted.
It was nice to see customers give the staff their flowers while they’re still here.
“Oh, thank you, beautiful,” Crites said, accepting a bouquet from a customer.
For the thriving customer base, the verdict is clear.
“Not creepy, I think it’s cool. You know it’s different,” said Howard.
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