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“We decided to carry on, and I’m sure he’d be thrilled,” Stephens said. “We had the name Local Haunt before, but it does feel like we came with a ghost, and I’m glad he’s here.”

Stephens, a local cartoonist, said he works in the horror genre, but Local Haunt won’t scare you. The skull and crossbones logo is just a bit of fun. He said the building does look like a little haunted house, and it must have some stories since it was built in 1875.

He said they were lucky to find a spot that was everything they wanted, and it feels like they are having friends over for a kitchen party or backyard barbecue on the patio.

“We envisioned a place that was comfortable, that felt like it had always been there,” Stephens said.

One thing he really likes is that the location is kind of a hidden gem, just outside of downtown, and can function as a meeting place or wind-down spot for folks headed to or coming from the heart of the city.

“We’ve had a lot of friends come and support us, but we’ve also had a lot of Einstein’s regulars come by out of curiosity,” Stephens said. “We’ve had a lot of walk-ins.”

He said he’s proud of their menu, that it’s “very good comfort food” and they’ve had a lot of compliments. They still have Einstein’s sausage penne pasta as a nod to the history of the location, since they had the owner, Rocky Mugford, teach them how it’s done.

They also have vegetarian and gluten-free options, including desserts made by Lillian from My Mason Desserts.

“She does little cakes, cheesecakes, tiramisu, all gluten-free, in mason jars,” Stephens said. “Not only are they made in a gluten-free environment, but they’re sealed and then brought here.”

Their chef, Callum Rochford, wanted to have a version of traditional pub food, like a casual dining menu, then have specials. They also have Sunday brunch and late-night menus.

“We wanted a food item that you can get right until closing time that was simple for staff to put together, and we thought, hot dogs! Who else has five-dollar hot dogs? You could come after work if you worked late, sit down and have a hot dog and a beer,” Stephens said.

He said most of the other menu items are ready to go, but since they decided to do a soft opening before an official opening day, they are still getting everything in order. He said they are aiming for the end of the month for a grand opening celebration.

“We’re going to try different things, different menu items, feature cocktails, and eventually this place will tell us what it needs,” Stephens said.

They are planning ongoing event nights for Mondays, game nights for Tuesdays, trivia on Wednesdays and more throughout the week.

You can follow Local Haunt to keep up to date on and .

For more information, to check out the menu or even buy some “merch,” head to or pop by the restaurant. You can call for a reservation or takeout at 519-822-6742.