Starbucks Alternatives: Mayorga Lounge and Coffee
5/21/2008 at 1:00 PM
Tags: Starbucks Alternatives, Coffee Shops, Coffee, Free WiFi, WiFi (all tags)
Always a corporate-lovin' town, Washington, DC's java options skew the chain route, with more Starbucks and Cosi outposts than corrupt politicians and lobbyists. But local Mayorga Coffee has crept up on the big guys, building a mini-chain of nine area locations, from the grab-and-go counters at BWI, Dulles and Reagan National Airports, to a massive lounge and performance space in Silver Spring.
The company's newest offering, Mayorga Lounge and Coffee, is in suddenly happening Columbia Heights, recently insta-gentrified with a flurry of new establishments both cool (uber-hipster bar Wonderland Ballroom and vegan bakery Sticky Fingers) and corporate (Target, Ruby Tuesday and, yes, Starbucks).
Sleeker than your average coffee shop, Mayorga Lounge and Coffee is set in the landmark Tivoli Theatre, a once-abandoned 1924 building where leather banquettes surround marble columns topped by an elaborately domed ceiling. There's also a flat-screen TV, free WiFi and power plugs under almost every seat.
Guatemalan-born owner Martin Mayorga treks to Central America frequently to track down the latest in espresso beans, which are offered in a wide range of brews, from mild (Cuban-style sweet espresso) to intense (the Hammerhead is drip coffee spiked with two shots of espresso).
The coffee shop also serves fresh pastries, salads and sandwiches, with omelets and breakfast sandwiches in the morning. In case the lounge-y setting proves too distracting for work, the darker second floor balcony includes a full bar and dinner menu.
Related Stories:
· Mayorga Lounge and Coffee [Official Site]
· Starbucks Alternatives coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Intangible Arts]
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