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Meet Adam Johnson, the owner of Deep Cuts Coffee, a horror themed coffee shop tucked away in an office building in downtown Dallas.
Chris Swann, The Dallas Morning News
Halloween never really ends at Adam Johnson’s downtown Dallas coffee shop.
Posters celebrating director John Carpenter’s films line the walls. Vintage VHS tapes share space with horror collectibles and memorabilia from cult classics such as “Army of Darkness,” while oversized menu boards resemble videocassette covers from another era.
Azariah Major of Mesquite and Kendall Traylor of Cedar Hill, sit and enjoy cups of coffee at Deep Cuts Coffee, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in downtown Dallas.
Chris Swann/The Dallas Morning News
A television plays horror movies on VHS tapes at Deep Cuts Coffee, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in downtown Dallas.
Chris Swann/The Dallas Morning News
Owner Adam Johnson works behind the front counter of Deep Cuts Coffee, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in downtown Dallas.
Chris Swann/The Dallas Morning News
Meet Adam Johnson, the owner of Deep Cuts Coffee, a horror themed coffee shop tucked away in an office building in downtown Dallas.
Chris Swann/The Dallas Morning News
Even the coffee comes with a little fright.
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Customers at Deep Cuts Coffee can order drinks with names such as Dead Tired, Monster Blood and Season of the Witch, surrounded by reminders of the days when discovering a scary movie meant browsing the aisles of a video store.
For Johnson, 41, the shop he opened with his wife, Jami, combines two lifelong passions.
“I love horror, and I love coffee, and it was just a great way to bring those two things together,” Johnson said.
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Tucked inside a second-floor skybridge at 1910 Pacific Ave., Deep Cuts opened in summer 2024 after the couple took over a space previously occupied by Stupid Good Coffee.
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Jami regularly visited the former business while working nearby. When she learned its owner planned to close, the couple purchased the equipment, signed a new lease and transformed the space into a tribute to the movies they loved.
Initially called Scary Good Coffee, the business adopted its current name about six months later after another coffee shop in Los Angeles objected to the similar name, Johnson said.
The name references obscure songs and lesser-known movies while also playing on the imagery associated with horror films.
A love of horror
Much of the memorabilia belonged to Johnson long before he became a business owner.
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Growing up, he watched movies such as “Beetlejuice” and “Army of Darkness,” along with television shows including “Goosebumps” and “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” His family watched movies almost every night and visited theaters on weekends.
Filmmakers Carpenter and Sam Raimi became particular favorites. Carpenter’s “The Thing” remains among Johnson’s favorite horror movies, while a “Halloween” poster in the shop has been part of his collection since childhood.
Jami has contributed to the collection, too. She has a particular fondness for the creatures from “Critters,” and Johnson said she encourages him to buy another piece whenever they find one.
“I just want to cram it full of all the stuff I like,” Johnson said.
His interest in VHS tapes goes beyond nostalgia. Johnson sees collecting physical media as a way to preserve obscure films, particularly titles that never received DVD, Blu-ray or streaming releases.
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While the memorabilia attracts attention, Johnson’s experience in the coffee industry is extensive.
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A longtime barista, he previously worked at several North Texas coffee shops.
Johnson said he enjoys working with his hands and connecting with customers, interests that helped lead him to open his own business.
Cultivar, a Dallas-area coffee roaster where Johnson previously worked, now roasts and packages coffee sold under the Deep Cuts name.
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The bags feature illustrations inspired by vintage horror movie covers, with names such as Dead Tired and Scream & Sugar.
Specialty drinks
Johnson collaborates with an artist on the designs and has even considered packaging coffee in cases resembling the plastic clamshells once used for VHS tapes. The cases he considered, however, were too small to hold a 12-ounce bag.
The specialty drinks receive similar attention.
Dead Tired, among the shop’s popular offerings, combines shaken espresso with brown sugar and cinnamon. Monster Blood pairs matcha with strawberry puree, creating a red-and-green appearance inspired by the “Goosebumps” franchise.
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The Laura Palmer combines cold brew and lemonade, a play on the traditional Arnold Palmer and a reference to the television series “Twin Peaks.”
Johnson said developing the drinks and their names is one of his favorite parts of running the business. Sometimes he starts with a name and creates a recipe to match it. Other times, the ingredients inspire the reference.
The combination of coffee and horror memorabilia has attracted customers who share his interests.
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Azariah Major, 22, traveled from Mesquite after discovering Deep Cuts on TikTok.
Originally from Franklinton, Louisiana, Major said her fascination with horror began around age 10 after watching a Chucky movie. Her favorite remains “Seed of Chucky,” and she recognized many of the films featured on posters throughout the shop.
“I’m a horror fanatic. I love watching horror movies, and this just matched my vibe very perfectly,” Major said.
She ordered a Season of the Witch, drawn partly by its name. Major said she likes witches and was considering dressing as one for Halloween.
She also noticed a sticker encouraging customers to drink coffee, stay up late and watch scary movies.
“Usually, coffee shops are kind of boring, and you just sit there, but this one is very interesting,” she said.
Major said she plans to return and recommend Deep Cuts to friends who share her love of horror movies.
For Johnson, those connections are part of what makes the business rewarding.
“We have a lot of people come in and say how it reminds them of their childhood and what they liked growing up,” Johnson said.
Social media spurs growth
The first several months were financially lean, but Johnson said business improved as more customers discovered the shop through social media.
He remains its only employee, preparing drinks and handling the daily operations himself.
Johnson’s enthusiasm for horror has also created opportunities beyond the coffee counter.
Earlier this year, he redirected money normally spent on social media advertising toward supporting independent filmmakers, offering financial assistance, coffee or merchandise in exchange for potential product placement or promotional opportunities.
He estimated the initiative attracted roughly 1,000 submissions. Among the projects he said Deep Cuts has supported are Better Luck Than Chuck, a horror-themed trivia game show, and productions involving filmmakers Adam Egypt Mortimer and Graham Skipper.
“It’s just good to be a part of it,” Johnson said. “I love coffee people. I love film people. It’s great to be able to give back.”
Johnson is also involved in plans for the Deep Cuts Horror Film Festival, scheduled for November 2027, according to a September announcement published by Horror Geek Life.
Expansion plans
Beyond filmmaking, Johnson has ideas for expanding the coffee shop.
He and Jami nearly secured another space this year that would have combined a video store with a small movie theater. Although those plans did not move forward, he remains interested in expanding into Oak Cliff.
Johnson is also considering adding a small movie-rental collection to the existing shop, where customers could discover lesser-known films that might not be available through streaming services.
His longterm ambitions are considerably larger.
“My big dream is Deep Cuts Land,” Johnson said.
He imagines a destination combining a coffee shop, video store, arcade, movie theater, bookstore and even axe throwing.
He described the idea as a kind of entertainment center for horror fans.
For now, Johnson continues running the downtown shop himself, surrounded by the movies and memorabilia he has collected for decades.
And while his ambitions extend beyond the coffee counter, Deep Cuts remains a place where customers can enjoy a drink, discover an unfamiliar film and share an appreciation for horror that doesn’t end with Halloween.