Star Lounge To-Go Concept Opening Early January; HBO Series in the Works?

Ukrainian Village craft caffeine connoisseurs Star Lounge Coffee Bar, named one of America's Best Coffee Bars by Food and Wine magazine, are opening a 200-foot to-go only space in early January. That means no tables, no wi-fi, no stools and a stripped-down menu changing daily. Star Lounge owner Jesse Diaz is christening it Dark Matter Coffee after their adjacent eponymous roasting house on 738 N. Western, where the new space is located. It will be open from 6 - 11 a.m. and cater to time-strapped morning commuters; the only beverages available to stay will be small drinks like a cortado or espresso.

"We're hoping that by opening Dark Matter for a couple hundred square feet that we can alleviate the massive traffic coming through Star Lounge, and redirect them and cater more to people that want the café experience versus those that want the to-go experience," Diaz said. Very soon you'll squash that gourmet coffee craving much quicker.

In related news, Diaz's stock is rising so far that HBO is pitching him a new series based on the Travel Channel's "Dangerous Grounds" and Diaz's South American coffee excursions; a producer from A&E's Cold Case Files is attached. Diaz is wary. "My wife freaked out on me and thought this is what I do for a living," Diaz said. "I'm like, 'no.' If I walked into a market in Ecuador and pulled $20,000 cash out of a backpack you would never see me again." Stay tuned, literally.
· Star Lounge Coffee Bar [Official Site]