Susan Almaguer, owner of The Coffee MUGGle, opened her Harry Potter’s Hogwarts-inspired coffee shop early last summer.
“I’ve always been a nerd for this stuff,” Almaguer said. “I genuinely loved it and I thought, you know what, I need to do something different. I like sticking out and why not do it with a passion of mine which is coffee.”
With the coffee shop now located near Del Mar College’s East and West campuses, at 1112 Morgan Ave., students such as public relations major Daisy Guana finally got to enjoy a cup of chai tea.
“I think it’s good that the coffee shop is located close to the campus. It’s different from any other coffee shops around here which is what I like about it,” Guana said.
If you’re expecting Harry Potter’s face to be everywhere, prepare yourself for a different perspective. Almaguer wanted the community, as well as Harry Potter fans, to have what is called a common room, as named in Hogwarts.
“What I wanted was it to be a common room. In the movie, the common room is where everyone would go hang out and chill. We may not be able to go to Hogwarts but at least here, in Corpus Christi, there is a slightly different version of a common room feel, so we can get that experience here,” she said.
The coffee shop offers Harry Potter-inspired drinks and pastries with a touch of Mexican culture. Some of the pastries include a cookie inspired by Harry’s owl, Hedwig, chocolate frogs and French macarons inspired by the four houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Gryffindor.
“I wanted to change it up a bit and add my roots. The Hedwig cookies are a Mexican cookie, polvorones, that’s why I call them Senor Hedwig cookies,” Almaguer said.
The shop has only been open for about two months since moving into its new location.
“My sister and I have always wanted to go. I first heard about them on Instagram and thought it looked pretty cool,” said physical therapy assistant major Lizabeth Lopez.
Almaguer hopes to expand the shop, but for now, visitors can enjoy the pastries and a cup of coffee, or butterbeer, play some wizard’s chess, read a book and have fun at The Coffee MUGGle.
