For two semesters the APU student body has fervently awaited the opening of the long anticipated new Cougar’s Den. With its opening last Tuesday, the new Den Cafe has answered nearly every prayer of many APU students.
“Everybody was kind of waiting for this to open up because we were all so tired of eating Mexicali every night,” said Freshman Applied Exercise Science Major and Den employee, Connor Sawyer.
“Sometimes it can be a little hectic because the Den is new and everybody wants to eat here, but everyone works really well together and the managers do a good job,” Sawyer said.
The Den has the options of creating your own burger, pasta, pizza, smoothie, salad, crepes, and gelato. The Den’s upgrade provided specific options like what kind of bread for the burgers, including a gluten free option. It even gives an extra protein option for our athletes who may be trying to meet certain weight requirements this season. For the pasta, you can get unlimited ingredients, with fusilli, fettuccine, and penne as noodle options.
The build-your-own pizza section provides gluten free options as well, and for the pineapple lovers, yes, there is pineapple. There are kale smoothies and acai bowls for people looking for more healthy dining options, as well as unlimited toppings for the salads. And then there is the crepe station. Go ahead and let your pallet explore the wonderland of banana and Nutella or a strawberry banana combo.
With all these exquisite options, the expectations for the new Den have been incredibly high.
“I was expecting great food, and I was really excited for the new pasta bar,” said Elle Alexander, a junior year communications major. Alexander only had the salad and the crepe at the time, but she stated she thoroughly enjoyed them.
Though an overwhelming majority of students agreed that the food was delicious and their expectations were met, all had a unanimous problem with the new Den Cafe: the lines.
“Its hard to see where the lines start and end,” Brayden Miller, a senior business major, said.
It seems that the hype for the new Den is still high, so a lot of students are constantly eating at the Den because of its newness, despite the long and confusing lines. There is also the factor of freshmen who have only heard legends of the Den and are using every opportunity to get their food at the new on campus eatery.
Some students have chimed in about the optimal times to visit the Den.
“I always try to get here right after chapel before the lines hit at, like, 11:22pm, or during class sessions too,” Miller said.
Multiple students have expressed the frustration of having stood in the wrong line on occasion. One student even brought their own chair to wait out the line in comfort. The new Den does not close until midnight, Monday through Thursday, so the lines tend to be shorter after 11 p.m. as well.
Besides the long lines, which seem to be a temporary inconvenience, the food at the den has proven delicious to many. Only good things were said about the food and the staff at the new Den, and even though the lines are annoying for some, even they love and appreciate the food provided.
“Thank you for opening before I graduate,” Alexander said.
Undoubtedly, many APU students feel the same gratitude toward APU and are thankful for the time and money the school put into building a high quality environment for students to enjoy great food.