There are many factors that play into a successful restaurant. A highly skilled chef, fresh ingredients, menu items with a twist your customers can’t get anywhere else, just to name a few. However, a truly renowned foodservice establishment is often known for its flair and branding, which sometimes means inviting a few guests over from the netherworlds.
So, ready for some spooky fun? Here are five fine establishments that share their space with ghosts.
Rockafellas
Our first establishment, Rockafellas, is appropriately located in a historic building in one of America’s most haunted places, the Witch City of Salem, MA. This casual dining gem has many tales to tell including the horrors and antics of two spirits that roam its quarters; the Blue Lady and the Black Suited Minister.
She’s called the Blue Lady because of her early 20th-century style blue dress. Some say she was strangled to death in the tunnels below (once utilized for the Underground Railroad!) by a sailor after learning she was pregnant with his child. Patrons and staff alike have often heard distant, bloodcurdling screams of the Blue Lady. Others claim she died while trapped in an underground vault. In any case, she is your best bet for a ghostly encounter.
The man dressed like a minister, however, was severely depressed and hung himself on restaurant grounds. To this day, his spirit craves solitude. Don’t believe us? Try to take a photo of this somber apparition and watch as your camera jams and breaks — It’s happened before.
17Hundred90
For the lux service of times gone by, there is the 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant. This fine dining establishment is nestled in beautiful Savannah, Georgia, home of many hauntings; the 17Hundred90 is no exception.
Although there are several ghosts roaming the property, there is one ghost named Anna who stands out from the rest for her friendliness. Ladies, if you are staying in the Inn, keep an eye on your clothing and jewelry. Anna sure will, as many guests have reported their possessions being mysteriously moved.
Folklore has it that Anna either jumped from the 3rd floor window or was pushed. In either tragic case, this is one friendly ghost who knows how to keep her spirits up and will welcome you with her warm presence.
Captain Tony’s Saloon
This ex-morgue, now iconic watering hole found in Key West, Florida is adored by locals and tourists alike. Captain Tony’s Saloon has hosted a wealth of characters including Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Shel Silverstein and Jimmy Buffet. Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without an apparition or two.
Captain Tony’s Saloon has one very unique feature: a tree growing out of the middle of the restaurant and through the roof. But this tree wasn’t always just another bar patron or a place to hang bras, reminiscent of a time when the bar served as a brothel. This is “the hanging tree” where 16 pirates and one psychotically dangerous woman in a blood-soaked blue dress met their death.
This “blue woman”, who murdered and chopped up her family in cold blood, hung from the tree for three weeks before dying. And she still hasn’t truly left as many sightings in Captain Tony’s Saloon has shown. We recommend being extra polite to the servers here, as the blue women is certainly watching and waiting for her next victim.
Jean Bonnet Tavern
Dating all the way back to 1762, this tavern has history. Of course, with history comes spooks, ghosts, and spirits. And they like to drink and enjoy music too.
If you happen to walk by the Jean Bonnet Tavern after hours, take a peek through the window. One bartender attests that you may see a man sipping a drink. Try to enter the building or try to approach him and he’ll disappear into the ether. Customers have also reported getting a pat on the back while no one is there, having their possessions moved without explanation, and witnessing a group of ghostly frontiersmen who look in from another time to enjoy live piano.
These occurrences are but a drop in the bucket when it comes to the Jean Bonnet Tavern. And what’s better advertising than consensus from both the living and the dead, that this is the best bar in Bedford, PA.
Double Eagle Restaurant
The Double Eagle Restaurant is located in a charming, elegant adobe home built in 1849, right in the heart of historic Messila, NM. Turn-of-the-century art aficionados, antiquing enthusiasts, and ghost hunters all flock to the Double Eagle for its unique décor and otherworldly inhabitants.
Armando, eldest son of the first owner, and Inez, a servant, were two teenagers that had developed a hidden romance and fell in love. Armando’s mother did not approve, to say the least, and eventually murdered them both with sewing shears.
This tragic duo still lives happily as mischievous ghosts in the Double Eagle. They play pranks on guests and staff, whisper names, emit strange perfumes, and hang out on the master and mistress chair found in the Carlotta Salon. They mean no harm, so next time you’re in New Mexico, why not visit the Double Eagle and raise a glass for Armando and Inez’s enduring spirit.
“I See Dead People”
In a time when patrons have been conditioned for take-out and delivery, bringing customers back to the table means delivering an experience they won’t get at home. For restaurants rooted in a location known for its mystical appeal, a keen business owner can easily leverage people’s attraction to the supernatural.
