Ghost in a restaurant? Man says coffee shop haunted by Civil War soldier

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Man says his coffee shop is haunted by a Civil War soldier

Joshua Dairen, owner of "The Coffee Shop" in Opelika, Alabama, says his shop has a most unusual patron: a ghost.

An Alabama man claims that his coffee shop is haunted by the ghost of a soldier from the Civil War – and says he has the video to prove it.

Joshua Dairen, 31, and his wife, Keema Miller, 31, bought "The Coffee Shop" in Opelika, Alabama, in April 2023, they told the news agency SWNS. 

Opelika is a small city in east-central Alabama. 

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Shortly after purchasing the shop, Dairen said he began to suspect something paranormal was afoot, he told SWNS. 

He said he began hearing "rustling" noises when nobody was around, and that he often heard footsteps even when he was alone in the shop. 

Joshua Dairen and his family bought The Coffee Shop in April 2023. He soon began noticing some strange occurrences.  (SWNS)

"We have experienced strange activity ever since we bought the place," he told SWNS, adding that the paranormal happenings began "within the first week" of owning the shop. 

Initially, Dairen suspected the rustling noises were the result of the 19th century building's older wiring, but says he has "continuously" heard the noises. 

He once saw a "shadow figure" look out of a window of an office.

This September, a member of his staff said she saw an apparition of a soldier walking toward her very early in the morning. Dairen released a video, saying it showed her reacting to something she had seen. 

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"They were in the shop alone at around 5:40 in the morning when they saw a figure walking from the back office to the counter," he said. 

Additionally, he himself once saw a "shadow figure" look out of a window of an office when nobody was inside, he told SWNS. 

The city of Opelika was raided during the Civil War, says Dairen, and he suspects a deceased soldier never left.  (SWNS)

"We've seen a figure walking around the shop when nobody has been in, and I have seen unexplained boot prints on the floor," he said. 

This includes a time a boot print was found on a carton of milk that he said mysteriously "exploded." 

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"It was an old army boot or something," he told SWNS. "Nobody in our shop has ever worn combat boots."

Upon doing research, Dairen learned that warehouses in the city of Opelika were turned into Confederate supply depots during the Civil War – and that many soldiers were killed when the city was raided. 

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One of these deceased soldiers, he supposes, is now calling The Coffee Shop home. 

As for now, Dairen seems to be OK with the otherworldly visitor to his shop. 

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"Luckily, nothing has presented itself as threatening toward us," he said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to The Coffee Shop for additional comment about the ghostly incidents.