The Triangle

Issue date: 5/22/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Zanne Ngatchou

With her right hand covering her head from the rain and her left hand holding a wet paper bag of bread, Megan Powers still manages to enter Lovers and Madmen Coffee Lounge with a smile. Shaking off the tiny droplets of rain that have gathered on top of her neatly pulled back hair and brown V-neck shirt, Powers quickly puts away her bread before coming to chat with me.

A true foodie at heart, Powers applied passion and ambition to make a difference in a city that she has grown to love. Standing at 5-foot-7 with a slender frame, this down-to-earth red head has more to her than meets the eye. After completing graduate school and obtaining her bachelor of arts in writing at the University of Pennsylvania two years ago, 25-year-old Powers gracefully took her diploma but ventured down a different path.

It was only a year and a half ago that Megan Powers and her business partner obtained a vacant store front at the corner of 40th and Ludlow street and turned it into a coffee lounge.

Upon entering, guests are quickly drawn to the large flat-screen high-definition TV that sits in the middle of the baby blue painted back wall. But that gesture is soon distracted by the rich aroma of coffee brewing at the counter by the front door. Here patrons can have their choice of American or Italian style coffee. Coffees range from $1.74-$4 a cup and tea averages $2 a cup.

I have always been a fan of caramel, so the caramel macchiato was my choice for the day. This rich blend of caramel with coffee and milk reminded me of Starbuck's rendition but with a stronger coffee flavor which I enjoyed immensely. I was also offered this drink prepared Italian style, which consisted of a smaller portion that yielded an extra shot of espresso.

After getting my drink, I took a seat toward the back of the lounge behind dark blue and brown couches that were laid out in the center of the room. With the mellow instrumentals playing softly in the background through small speakers, Powers and I were ready to engage in a relaxed conversation. It was here that she told me about her goal of always wanting to open up a coffee shop despite all the negative feedback she got from neighboring retailers and locals.

"I want this to be a cornerstone for residents and students alike," Powers said. "I love West Philly, and I want to see this as a positive change for the community. We recycle as much as we can. We purchase our beans from Counter Culture Coffee, and we buy many of our pastries from Four World Bakery and Under the Oak Café which are businesses located in the Philadelphia area."

Continued...

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