You don’t have to slip into the dreamworld to catch a glimpse of Freddy Krueger. You may find him lurking in the southern edge of the Arts District.
Nightmare Toys, a hotspot for horror fans, will be expanding into the vacancy next door to bring a horror-themed restaurant and bar to the neighborhood.
Nightmare Cafe, approximately 2,500 square feet, will include a full bar and roll-up garage doors that will allow guests to eat and drink on the patio. The restaurant will serve southern-style fried chicken, a nod to co-owners’ Kristy Adams and Philip Martin’s Alabamian roots.
Expect horror props on the walls and ceiling to scare the bejeezus out of guests. However, Martin did assure What Now Las Vegas that Leatherface will not be there swinging a chainsaw at patrons.
The restaurant will also showcase artwork by local artists, including that of The Wall Saints, the multimedia artist duo Tony Castillo and Derek Douglas (Snipt) who made the monster mural for Nightmare Toys. In anticipation of the new restaurant and bar, the duo made a temporary mural on its storefront featuring It‘s Pennywise and Friday the 13th‘s Jason Voorhees.
The expansion will add square footage to the retail store, which hosts signings with horror celebrities and sells everything from Chucky dolls and Dracula masks to Jack Torrance’s axe prop from The Shining. Nightmare Toys, despite only having opened in the summer of 2020, has become a popular destination for locals and horror fanatics driving in from neighboring states. Nightmare Cafe will provide a creepy and thrilling space for these folks to eat, drink, and “relax.”
Martin told What Now Las Vegas that although it is hard to guess how long processing permits will take, “construction is looking good.”
Nightmare Cafe hopes to roll up its garage doors at 1309 S Commerce Street in August.
Enter if you dare. We’ll be right behind you.
