Community building takes place in many places around the bluff, but one of the unique spaces building community on campus is LMU’s entirely student-run coffee shop, The Lion’s Den. Giancarlo Deligio ‘21, management major and supervisor at the Lion’s Den, describes the shop as having one of the best environments on campus. Deligio loves the community feeling that he can see from behind the counter. “I feel very comfortable here. I have met so many people from different backgrounds and different personalities all from working here,” said Deligio. He also loves the personal interactions he sees from students. For him, one of the biggest problems he sees in this generation is too many people on their phone, which he finds a great lack of at the Lion’s Den. The real interactions that he sees regularly is a breath of fresh air to Deligio.
Deligio decided to apply for a job at the spur of the moment his freshman year and had no idea how much of an impact the Lion’s Den would have on him. The Lion’s Den is known around campus for its friendly employees, which starts with the happiness from the customers, “The employees strive to make a communal environment. Everything is genuine when we serve coffee as we try to brighten up people’s days,” said Deligio. He believes that the friendly culture that the employees have created helped make the Lion’s Den one of the most all-around authentic places on campus.
The Lion’s Den is also one of the places that really strives to be environmentally conscious on campus. They use compostable materials, and all of their coffee is fair trade from Grounds for Change. They also are doing their part in saving the bees by not using any honey. Stop by the Lion’s Den soon and enjoy the ambiance, grab some coffee and even help the environment a little. Deligio recommends the almond mocha, iced tea and a croissant. The Lion’s Den can be found on the first floor of the Malone Student Center. Check out their website for hours and follow them on Instagram.
By: Nik Feldhaus