Black Lion Café will bring College Park a taste of Ethiopian coffee next year.
The family-owned small business, which operates two locations in Montgomery County, signed a lease to become one of Union on Knox’s newest retailers, according to Terrapin Development Company president Ken Ulman.
“We’re really excited about being able to have a locally-owned café,” said Ulman, who is also the University of Maryland College Park Foundation’s chief strategy officer for economic development. “They build out beautiful stores. They are committed to great coffee, first and foremost, from Ethiopia.”
Neima Tahir, the manager of Black Lion Café’s Silver Spring location, said the café places an emphasis on fresh coffee and roasts its premium beans in-house.
Ethiopian coffee, Tahir said, has a different taste from the coffee that most people are used to. Black Lion Café also gets its coffee beans straight from farmers, according to Tahir.
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Each location’s menu differs, but every spot offers a variety of pastries, coffee and tea. The Silver Spring location also offers salads and sandwiches. Tahir said the café’s upcoming College Park location will also feature a natural design concept of neutral colors and greenery.
“That cozy and that homey feeling — that’s what we’re trying to create,” Tahir said.
According to Tahir, the café will be a place for the College Park community to feel comfortable hanging out and doing their work while enjoying its atmosphere, coffee and pastries.
Katelyn Kilgore, a sophomore government and politics major who lives off campus, said she will definitely check out Black Lion Café due to its convenient location.
The addition of Black Lion Café is part of the Union on Knox development, which is led by the Terrapin Development Company and real estate developer Greystar.
The project is a student housing development with a focus on retail engagement. Ulman said Union on Knox is striving to incorporate a mix of nationally-known brands, such as Shake Shack and Insomnia Cookies, and local brands, such as Black Lion Café.
Black Lion Café is one of several businesses slated to open in the strip of retail space on the ground level of the apartment complex, including Berries & Bowls and Duck Donuts. Ulman said the café still needs to receive permits for its College Park location, but he predicts it will open sometime in Spring 2026.
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Black Lion Café will be located on the campus-facing side of Union on Knox, so Ulman thinks it will be a great addition for both University of Maryland students and the greater College Park community.
Kayla Harrison, a freshman microbiology major, said she frequents cafés both on and off campus. Due to the large size of this university’s campus, Harrison said having a variety of cafés around campus is important to ensure that everybody has easy access to these spaces.
“People need to have a safe space that’s secluded and less crowded than like a giant library or a giant study room,” Harrison said. “Everyone has such a shared love for cafés.”
