The Horror House (2911 W. Belmont) has been open for just over a year, and has quickly established itself as an essential part of Chicago’s pop culture landscape.

As Halloween approaches, I sat down with Horror House co-owner Vinny Malave to talk about business over the past year, the horror community, the highs and lows of small business ownership, the shop’s Riot Fest presence, the Avondale neighborhood, Fanny DeVito and upcoming store events.

Car Con Carne is presented by Alex Ross Art. Alex Ross has a YouTube channel you should subscribe to (@thealexrossart)!

Car Con Carne is also sponsored by In the Loop Magazine. In The Loop loves music just as much as you do, and when it comes to live music in Chicago, they’ve got you covered with show recaps, tour previews, interviews, photo galleries, and more. Visit and bookmark In the Loop Magazine at beintheloopchicago.com.