3 Ways to Improve the Lion's Den

Bring back the old espresso machine: I'm a bit of a coffee snob, but it really doesn't take more than a Jamba-juice-enhanced-pallatte to realize that the new "fully-automatic" espresso machines in the Lion's Den make crappy espresso. It's not normal to find a sludge of water and coffee grinds at the bottom of a double shot, as these machines regularly output.

Respect my mug: I'm pretty happy with the Lion's Den's new green disposables, but still, for an establishment that puts out so much container waste per day, there are certainly no-waste solutions. How about this? If I bring in my own ceramic mug and you fill it with coffee, give me a coffee for less. It's not that novel of an idea -- we've seen it at all sorts of corner coffee spots. Instead, the closest the LD gets to a mug program is one where you buy their proprietary, over-priced thermos.

Real apple cider: Sometimes I really need a non-caffeinated drink and the Den is slim on those. Especially during the Winter and Fall -- we have to get some hot apple cider in there. It's a perfect specialty drink for a place like the Den. But none of that heated apple juice crap that they serve down in Uhall. I want a real tangy, un-filtered, cloudy beverage.

Love, Chris Lesinski