Down a Rabbit Hole: Newly-opened coffee shop infuses CBD, nostalgia, steampunk and happiness

Published 5:15 pm Tuesday, September 20, 2022

By Hunter Cloud

Take a trip down Rabbit Hole Brew and Infusion where you can buy a cup of coffee and lounge at 908 Brookway Boulevard. Newly opened, the coffee shop offers coffee, tea, juice, lemonade, natural herb and CBD infusions.

A line of people wait for their macchiatos, lattes, cappuccinos, iced frappes and green teas. It has been a busy start for the company as they are now open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.. Co-Owner Candice Strange said they started work on the building in March 2022 and opened on Aug. 26, 2022.

They had a soft opening to allow her staff to learn the recipes and formulas and get everything down pat. Rabbit Hole Brew and Infusion’s story starts well before the shop opened with Candice’s husband Ryan.

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“He was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when he was 13. The medicines he was put on gave him worse side effects that made things worse than the arthritis did,” she said. “We eventually tried CBD which has helped him tremendously. We wanted to spread the knowledge of CBD around. We are trying to help out other people who may deal with chronic pain. We are also coffee connoisseurs.”

Coffee and CBD are not technically infused by the company but they sell well together. Strange said they have CBD and other herbal products portioned out to a serving size so a customer can pour it into their coffee if they would like too.

Rabbit Hole offers organic Honey, Cinamon, Vanilla Bean, Ginger Root, Ginseng, Cloves, Turmeric, Ansie Seed and Nutmeg infusions. A disclaimer on the menus said they do not claim that the infusions prevent, cure or treat illness, ailments or disease.

A table with books on CBD and herbal medicine looks out the window. It is a place people can read about products and learn about what they can do, Strange said. They hope it will at least educate the public.

“We have a lot of customers with questions about CBD and they might be facing chronic conditions and they might need it in more than just one dose. Those are information journals so they can educate themselves and maybe become more comfortable with it,” Strange said. “I think people are scared by what they don’t understand. Maybe it could help.”

She said the turnout for the CBD oils has gone better than she anticipated. At first, she thought there might be some hesitation but she has made several orders to restock the shelves in their first month.

Coffee has been the main attraction for her customers. They wanted to let the product speak for itself before they did any advertising. Rabbit Hole’s coffee comes from local roasters in Mississippi such as Thunderhead in Jackson and Coffee Caboose in Tylertown. Her hope is to add two more coffee suppliers from Mississippi in the coming months.

Open shades let in warm light. Golden chairs and black tables balance the feeling of the coffee room. Alice in Wonderland cards adorn wooden walls. A rabbit with a pipe in his mouth and steampunk fonts add flavor to the shop’s menu.

Strange said they wanted to have a steampunk and nostalgic theme. At the same time, they did not want the place to be too dark. She said the shop should feel like a happy place where people can hang out and have coffee dates. Additionally, it is a place she and her husband can have fun.

“My husband’s family owns 51 Pawn in Bogue Chitto. This is just our break away from that because we were so heavily regulated by the ATF,” she said. “This was something we could do as a hobby and have fun. We can get out of the box. We mixed the idea of steam punk and nostalgia to bring joy. It is our own equation that hopefully sends a message that anything goes in here.”

Cups in Jackson is the best comparison she could make for the shop. In a year’s time, she hopes to add new methods to making the coffee and incorporate themed drinks for the holidays.

“We plan to be open late on Halloween night. Parents could bring their kids by for some treats and the parents might need a little help getting a boost,” she said. “We will play up the holidays and are going to try to get creative.”

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