Prometheus Esoterica — Local services in Winter Park

In the non descript shopping plaza, Shoppes Howell Branch is the self proclaimed weirdest coffee shop in Orlando. I also anoint it the coolest shop in Orlando. Welcome to Prometheus Esoterica, an oddities boutique in the Abbey Rose Vintage Shop, curated by husband and wife, Adam DeLancett and Whitney Hayes. I have really wanted to visit here ever since discovering them on social media.

On a trip to Winter Park to visit my daughter I finally got an opportunity to satisfy my curiosity. Inside the dark interior is an eclectic assortment of items from the owners private collection mixed in with taxidermy, antiques, uranium glass, goth clothing, books, old photographs, artisan made crafts, candles, gemstones, accessories, plush toys, coffee, and tea all for sale. You can take your coffee and tea with you to make at home or enjoy a freshly brewed cup in the store. You can easily imagine that Wednesday Adams or Lydia Deetz would feel right at home here. Friendly staff are around every corner to chat, offer suggestions, or give you the history on the unusual specimens like the two headed fetal pig named Ham and Bacon.

I love supporting small businesses and I purchased a sweetly spooky Pennywise headband for my daughter. Other favorite items included a bat bottle opener and an opossum coffee mug that you turn upside down to use. Prometheus Esoterica will be participating in the Orlando Oddities and Curiosities Market on June 29th at Osceola Heritage Park. Follow them on Instagram to keep up on all the latest and greatest...

Being a collector, I am always looking for stores that sell things that not only complete my collection but also that fascinate me. And that is the correct way to describe this little gem of a store that I had the chance to visit. From the moment I saw the sign outside that said "Orlando Weirdest Coffee Shop"I was sold!!!. When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the selection of unique items that they had. A lot of rare collectibles, amazing selection of decorative skulls (I collect skulls) unique clothing selections for everyone (I found a Hawaiian shirt that had Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and Leatherface !!!! Sold) to a knife purse for my girlfriend (She loved it!!) Every corner you look at this store, there is a little something that will capture your interest.

And of course the staff working there was super knowledgeable and very friendly. Everyone working there seemed happy to help not just myself but everyone in the store. It definitely made the shopping experience more enjoyable.

And now we come to my favorite part, The Coffee!!!! They have a great variety of coffee flavors. (My personal favorite was the coconut) I highly recommend their coffee and one cool thing about their staff is that they will ask you if you want it in whole bean or grounded for convenience. Their prices are good and fair especially for what they sell.

They definitely won a customer for life and I can't wait to go back and see what new collectibles they will bring for me to buy and of course more...

A truly unique shop offering horror-inspired trinkets, jewelry, artwork, old medical equipment, preserved animal skulls, and wet specimens. The shop owners and curators have done an incredible job styling the store in a way that makes you forget it's in an otherwise pretty unremarkable, typical urban Florida strip mall. It's dark, moody, and spectacularly themed, with a new interactive photo op at the front of the store offered each month. The awesome woman running the store helped position me and my three friends in front of the photo op, and even took our picture—and a slo-motion video, just because she knew it would look cool, not because we even knew to ask for it. She seemed extremely passionate, and she knew exactly how to create a noteworthy experience for us, sort of like a tour guide knows to point out the rarefied details of a place that newcomers might be liable to miss out on. On top of the meticulous decorating and the authenticity of the store's offerings, the shop manager's savoir faire transformed the simple activity of browsing a store on a weekday afternoon into a memorable excursion. There are way too many arcane knick-knacks to explore all in one afternoon, so I'm excited for our next visit to PE to scour the shelves for...