BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A nonprofit coffee shop’s hopes to bring the magical world of “Harry Potter” to its customers have been cut short after a letter arrived at its doorstep — not an acceptance letter to Hogwarts, but a warning from Warner Bros.
Covenant Coffee, a coffee shop in Bakersfield, California, that aims to educate and employ former and current foster children, received a cease and desist letter from Warner Bros. last week, according to Shelby Woolley, Covenant Coffee’s director of operations.
The cease and desist was for Covenant’s event that began Nov. 29 at Covenant Coffee, initially titled “Holidays at Hogwarts.”
The event featured “Harry Potter”-themed decorations and drinks such as Peppermint Owl Latte, Hogsmeade Hazelnut Brew, Gryffindor Gingerbread Cappuccino, Dobby’s Delight and more.
The shop was adorned with the banners of the four Hogwarts Houses and even a sign that read, “Wizards Welcome (Muggles Tolerated).”
“We received a formal letter from Warner Bros.’ legal team instructing us to remove all Harry Potter-related content from our social platforms and to discontinue the use of any trademarked names,” Covenant Coffee said in its Instagram story.
The event was renamed to be called “Holidays in the Great Hall,” according to Woolley.
Covenant also updated some of its drink names that were more specifically tied to the franchise: Gryffindor Gingerbread Cappuccino was changed to Gryff Gingerbread Cappuccino, Hogsmeade Hazelnut Brew was renamed as Enchanted Hazelnut Brew and Dobby’s Delight is now just Dobs Delight.
But the show must go on — according to Woolley, no changes are being made to the event itself, which is set to run through Dec. 6 and includes a sold-out trivia night for adults Friday night.
For the last day of the event from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Covenant is inviting the little witches and wizards in town to visit the coffee shop with their families to enjoy fun activities.
Customers can also share the joy by grabbing one or more tags from the Christmas trees at both Covenant locations in Bakersfield, buying a gift for each tag and bringing them back to the shop to help make somebody’s Christmas even better, Woolley said.
Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment on the matter, a spokesperson told Nexstar’s KGET.