Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Great Greek is giving Las Vegas Academy of the Arts students a new muse.
The Muse Cafe, that is.
Nick Della Penna, co-founder and co-owner of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill — which has 11 locations in Southern Nevada and 85 franchisees around the country and the world — is adding a coffee shop to his portfolio.
But The Muse Cafe, at 601 E. Bridger Ave., across the street from LVA, is strictly a passion project. Della Penna, president of the Friends of LVA Foundation, will donate 100 percent of the profits to the school, where his daughter, Soaren, is a junior majoring in visual arts.
“I don’t want to make a dime out of this. I’m doing well with The Great Greek. This is for the school,” he said. “I want them to feel like this is their coffee shop. I want them to come before school, after school, before performances, after performances. Just for it to be a comfort zone for them. The location makes it absolutely perfect. It’s the LVA coffee shop.
“We’re going to have some super cool comfortable furniture and a bunch of charging jacks where they can plug in their Chromebooks or their laptops and get some work done or study.”
Della Penna came up with the idea to give back while driving his daughter to school past the space previously occupied by the Brew It Coffee House, which closed in July 2025.
The Great Greek is giving Las Vegas Academy of the Arts students a new muse.
The Muse Cafe, that is.
Nick Della Penna, co-founder and co-owner of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill — which has 11 locations in Southern Nevada and 85 franchisees around the country and the world — is adding a coffee shop to his portfolio.
But The Muse Cafe, at 601 E. Bridger Ave., across the street from LVA, is strictly a passion project. Della Penna, president of the Friends of LVA Foundation, will donate 100 percent of the profits to the school, where his daughter, Soaren, is a junior majoring in visual arts.
“I don’t want to make a dime out of this. I’m doing well with The Great Greek. This is for the school,” he said. “I want them to feel like this is their coffee shop. I want them to come before school, after school, before performances, after performances. Just for it to be a comfort zone for them. The location makes it absolutely perfect. It’s the LVA coffee shop.
“We’re going to have some super cool comfortable furniture and a bunch of charging jacks where they can plug in their Chromebooks or their laptops and get some work done or study.”
Della Penna came up with the idea to give back while driving his daughter to school past the space previously occupied by the Brew It Coffee House, which closed in July 2025.
