When regulars walk into The Den, they’ll immediately notice a brighter space enhanced by both natural light and new light fixtures. Step closer and fans of the neighborhood haunt, formerly known as Modern Times Coffeehouse, will also see that a wall has been knocked down, nearly doubling the space’s seating capacity.

The coffee shop needed “a serious facelift,” says Bradley Graham, co-owner of Politics & Prose Bookstore, which houses the cafe on its lower level. Graham and his wife took the reigns of the decades-old bookstore in 2011. And in 2015, they took over management of the coffee shop that Graham describes as previously being dingy, grimy, and crowded, as well as suffering from inadequate hot water and difficult temperature controls. So they shuttered it for more than three months of renovations.

“But what we didn’t want to change was the basic nature of the place,” Graham said. “We wanted to maintain the same kind of cozy, casual atmosphere.” The Den Coffeehouse and Wine Bar is officially opening to the public on Thursday with a happy hour, which is also a new addition as customers have never been able to purchase alcoholic beverages in the space since its 1993 opening.

Graham didn’t have to search far for the right person to take helm of the shop. Its new general manager, Matt Carr, is the co-founder of Little Red Fox—a coffee shop and market just six doors away on Connecticut Avenue NW.

Carr opened Little Red Fox with just one baker about two years ago. The space, which has limited seating and specializes in to-go orders, now has four bakers who will supply morning pastries to The Den. And starting at 11 a.m. each day, customers can take their pick of six different sweet and savory tartines, soup, salad, and a kid-friendly grilled cheese sandwich. All items will be available until closing.

In the evening, the true transformation will take place, as Carr hopes it will become a spot for people to meet for a glass of wine or beer, light dinner fare, and dessert. Carr said that his pie fries are a “fun bar snack,” letting customers dip long french-fry-shaped pie crusts into fruit pie filling. His molten chocolate cake will also satisfy the sweet tooth, he said, adding that all items are created especially for The Den. Cheese and charcuterie plates will be added to the evening menu as well. This third-wave of offerings will be available beginning at 4 p.m. daily.

The shop’s espresso drinks from Ceremony Coffee Roasters will also be on tap throughout the night, prepared on a new state-of-the-art Synesso machine.

As the book store hosts about one event per day, Carr hopes the new food and drink items will keep customers “on the block, instead of going out to dinner somewhere else in downtown Bethesda or downtown D.C.”

Another goal is to create more synergy between the bookstore and the coffee shop. For instance, when people come to a book signing upstairs, they can retreat to The Den to share a drink with the author, Carr said. In addition, the cafe will feature a cookbook from the book store’s collection each month, with a dish from the selected book appearing on the menu.

Among other literary and food-themed events, the space will offer a selection of crimson drinks and food for author Justin Cronin’s appearance on May 25, in a tribute to his vampire novels.

In the meantime, regulars and newbies can toast to the new space at Thursday’s event.

The Den (5015 Connecticut Avenue NW) will be open Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.