The Notre Dame area fills up with out of towners for home games.

Before they go to campus, many of those visitors explores South Bend, starting at a coffee shop in the Near Northwest neighborhood.

“It’s just a really beautiful space for people to come together,” Local Cup intern Jenny Hagenauer said.

The Local Cup coffee shop has no set prices, and operates on a pay-it-forward model.

It’s more about the experience than buying pricey drinks.

Before Notre Dame home games, that experience is like no other.

“We usually play Irish jig music. We wear face paint sometimes,” Hagenauer said.

They even use special Irish cream in the coffee on Saturdays.

Many of the fans stumble into the shop by chance.

“It’s really fun to bring everyone from across the country,” Hagenauer said.

The surrounding neighborhood is full of house rental options on AirBNB, so when visitors come to town for a game, The Local Cup is usually the easiest option for coffee.

“People just wander on down from the neighborhood,” Hagenauer said.

While there, some discover there’s more to South Bend than Notre Dame alone.

It’s an experience Hagenauer has had herself.

As a St. Mary’s College student, she never thought to venture off Notre Dame territory before working at The Local Cup.

“Now I love it, and I love this neighborhood,” Hagenauer said.

She’s now a leader at the shop, and considers herself both a Notre Dame and South Bend local.

“I love Notre Dame, but I love South Bend too, so it’s really exciting to have a coffee shop where not only can you share in school spirit as a college student but also be connected to the community,” Hagenauer said.

It’s a fresh revelation she hopes she can share with campus visitors, starting with a cup of coffee.