Post 4: Hidden Secrets

In downtown Lincoln somewhere between the Haymarket area and the slew of thrift stores is a hidden treasure named Panache (known commonly as The Coffee House). Slipping through the strange entrance between a bar and a bank, you begin to get the feel of the place. Gentle chatter greets you along with the whiff of god’s most glorious coffee creations. To the right of the doors, a checker box floor is faded from hours of sunlight; an antique bike in the window itself casts a shadow. To your left is the order station. Walking up the counter you see the choices of a million different tantalizing treats. Everything from hot coffee and soup to fruit juice and salads are available. A friendly blonde boy peeps his eyes around the corner and asks us for our order. With so many choices I feel like a kid in a candy store, until he suggests their newest treat for summer (a combination of mocha, caramel, and chocolate). They hand us our mugs, full of flavor and topped with whipped cream and find that the price tag is quite reasonable (only $2.75 each for a 20oz).

At only two in the afternoon, it seems that people have started filtering in. There are professors, discussing future class plans, musicians writing in new musical pieces, artists sketching, and of course a brew of college students spread across the room. Built to accommodate, The Coffee House is installed with free wi-fi and is quite spacious with three separate rooms total and several different size tables. So wheatear you’re catching up on your favorite coffee or spreading out your four different English books, you’re sure to fit in here. The small town feel of the service is countered by the eclectic style of the place. It’s mismatched chairs, local artwork, and design it yourself chalkboard walls give ownership to the city of Lincoln allowing everyone and anyone to feel as if The Coffee House is their coffee house. This helps to explain the wide variety of customers and their undying loyalty. Not to mention, the coffee is good.