Two sophomores argue that a 24-hour diner should replace Green Cafe in Collegetown.

The owner of the defunct Green Café in Collegetown has been fined nearly one million dollars by the New York State Department of Labor for unfair treatment of workers at both his Ithaca establishment and a still-operating deli in New York City, the Tompkins County Workers’ Center announced Thursday.

After less than six months since its grand opening, the Green Café is already making a major addition to its offerings. This Thursday, Green Café, at the corner of College Avenue and Dryden Road, will be opening a full-service bar and adding alcoholic cocktails to its burgeoning selection of upscale food and drinks. According to staff, the bar will offer over 200 varieties of liquor, beer on tap and a special bar menu prepared by a new chef.

A throwaway joke in a column last week upset at least one reader, but both sides of the issue are worth exploring. Separately, my own curiosities illuminate what I thought was an errant omission in Red Letter Daze.

In the April 1 edition of Straight No Chaser, columnist Daniel Eichberg ’11 vented his irritation over self-important Internet pseudo-celebrities. In setting the scene, he used the following line: “When I arrived home, I decided to make my famous Bathtub Toast to help ease the pain. I was about to climb into the tub with the toaster …”

Being the ultimate foodie and nutrition junkie that I am, I stood in front of the new Green Café on College Ave. and small tear trickled down my cheek. I opened the glorious doors to my new haven and the smells of salvation exploded in my face.

About a year and a half ago, on Nov. 27, 2007, I wrote a column entitled “This Space is for Rent,” pleading with Cornell to help revitalize Collegetown and explaining that Harvard had just helped a new business to open in the area near its Cambridge campus. I said that the new Harvard business was reminiscent of exactly what Collegetown needed.

The description of the new establishment in Cambridge was as follows: “The store … will serve deli sandwiches with a seating area, … high-end grocery items, … and convenience items, like 7-11. [The store] will also have a produce section, a salad bar and a large prepared-food buffet section, similar to Whole Foods.”