by Hannah Nicholson, opinion editor, and Hillary Twiford, news editor

Gallery • 6 Photos

When the Riverside Inn burnt down, Mugs and Muggles owners Brandon Cowie and Stacy Cowie were devastated partly because they were involved in an ongoing project of starting a coffee shop partnered with the Riverside. Afterwards, they decided to carry on with the coffee shop, but they needed a muse. A picture (include picture above) of the Riverside on fire inspired thoughts of something rising from a fire, and all they could think of was the rise of the Phoenix, which stems from the popular book series, Harry Potter. Soon the idea of Mugs and Muggles was born.

This family owned business is located right next to the old Riverside Inn. The Harry Potter themed coffee shop opened on February 2, and so far the owners are pleased with the number of customers they are getting. On just the second day, the shop saw close to 500 visitors. The owners took to Facebook to thank their customers: “Today was better than we ever could have anticipated! We truly appreciate each and every one of you that stopped by!”

The construction of the coffee shop, which also doubles as a boutique, is not yet complete due to constant expansion of their equipment, but their decor is spot on. There are Harry Potter figurines and paintings all throughout the small shop. Everything on the menu is also based on different foods and potions from the books, like Butterbeer, Amortentia, and Draught of Peace. Their coffee is brewed fresh every morning, and they use fresh fruit in all of their smoothies.

The shop is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., making it easily accessible to coffee lovers at any time of the day, especially for early risers. Mugs and Muggles is constantly being updated, and a second lounge is in the works.  According to the Facebook page, more good things are on the way. Their post concluded with: “Stay tuned for some more exciting news and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us and other small businesses!”