News

Mugs Coffee Bar Opens at Dover AFB

  • Published
  • By Mauricio Campino
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Dover Air Force Base Airmen and civilians now have a new place to grab a meal. After a successful soft opening the previous week, Lt. Col. Arnold Mosley, 436th Force Support Squadron commander, Col. Randy Boswell, 436th Mission Support Group commander, and Mindy Hildebrand, 436th Force Support Squadron Community Services flight chief, cut the ribbon at Mugs Coffee Bar on May 1, 2018 officially opening it for business.

The project was born, in part, from troop feedback. When unit commanders asked how Dover could be improved many troops suggested more eatery options and meal hours that accommodate Airmen working various shifts.

“Our number one priority is to take care of our Airmen,” Hildebrand said. “That’s why we’re open at [5 a.m.] We wanted Airmen who go into work at six to be able to get coffee before reporting in for work.”

Open Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays 5-10 a.m., the coffee bar offers a wide selection of meals and snacks for breakfast and lunch. For customer convenience, orders can be placed by phone and picked up, and Airmen who hold meal cards can use them at the facility.

Located at the site of the old Mugs Bar within the Landings, the coffee bar is just a short walking distance from the dormitories. The space was closed off since 2011 and used mostly for storage. After receiving funding approval in March 2018 from the Non-Appropriated Funds Council, the 436th FSS and 436th Civil Engineer Squadron sprang into action to transform the dusty, unused room into a fully functional coffee bar, complete with a full kitchen, free wireless internet and charging stations for cell phones, tablets and portable devices. Mugs can seat more than 45 customers with a variety of sofas and lounge chairs and can accommodate many more making it suitable for anything from an informal meeting to a unit gathering. During warmer months, customers can sit outside at shaded tables.