For students who are looking for some mid-week entertainment, a cup of coffee, or a new study environment, the on-campus coffee shop Espress'ery Coffee House offers all of those things.

Located on the ground floor of the Pollock Dining Commons and open from 7 p.m. to 1:45 a.m. all week, the Espress'ery caters mainly to crowds of late-night studiers and offers an alternative to downtown coffee shops for students living on campus.

The shop has over 12 different Seattle's Best Coffee and espresso drinks to choose from, as well as a variety of desserts, snacks and other beverages and plenty of space to spread out.

So what makes this coffee shop so attractive to students? Store Supervisor, Tom Baddick had an answer: "good music, good drinks, good desserts and plenty of room."

Though the shop itself is not huge, large tables, couches and chairs are placed amid purple, black and green walls adorned with gold stars and colorful artwork.

"I usually stay until I get all my work done," said Chantel Edwards (junior-accounting). "It's just a really good place to come to, it has a nice atmosphere and they have really good coffee."

Other students come to hear some of the regularly scheduled musicians who play such as Eric Himan, a Penn State graduate and frequent performer at the Espress'ery. But for those who come to study, that music can be distracting.

"I am always here when Eric plays," said Kiley Lucas (sophomore-administration of justice). "When I come I usually try to study too, but a lot of my friends are here most of the time, so I usually end up just socializing."

Performances are scheduled at the Espress'ery around nine times a month and are usually arranged on a voluntary basis with the majority of musicians being students.

"We have three regular performers who aren't students," said Baddick. "But for the most part, it's the students who want to play. Sometimes we will have an open mic night and will ask certain musicians to return, but usually people come in and ask us if they can play."

The idea for the Espress'ery, founded in 1997, came from Food Services' Special Projects Manager, Michele Newhard who wanted to start a coffee shop that was more accessible to on-campus students.

"I traveled to Europe a few years prior (to 1997) and was inspired by the coffee culture over there," said Newhard. "I've always thought of coffee shops as meccas of intellectuality and so I figured the Espress'ery would fit perfectly on the Penn State campus."

The space in Pollock Commons wasn't occupied and was chosen to carry out the idea.

"We have been really successful over the last few years," said Baddick. "And every year it gets busier."

The crowds, which tend to be the most prevalent between 10 p.m. and midnight, are what sometimes end up driving some students away from the Espress'ery.

"I'm here a lot during the week but sometimes it will get way too crowded and I'll have to leave," said Dan Nelson (sophomore-hotel restaurant and institutional management). "Basically I come if I'm not trying to get too much studying done."

Other students, such as Adam Margolin (junior-math and business), related to Nelson's sentiment: "I definitely come with the intention of getting stuff done, but it doesn't always work out that way. Mostly I like it because you can sit here all night and they don't make you buy anything."

Though it is mainly a study-friendly environment, the Espress'ery also offers a variety of board games and playing cards as alternatives for those who are just looking to relax or occupy some of their free time.

A daily dessert selection is also available. Choices include chocolate chip cheesecake, peanut butter pie, lemon bars and the popular espresso sundae, which consists of frozen yogurt, espresso and whipped cream.

"I'm a big fan of the frozen yogurt," said Nelson. "But the best part about it is that you can use your meal points. Meal points are big."