Entertainment and a quiet atmosphere welcome customers at a local coffee house.

Dioko Coffee Co. has an open microphone night every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m., when customers can get on stage and play music or read poetry.

Every Thursday night is acoustic night, when Dioko features one of the many of varieties of artists that play the venue.

“Typically its vocals and guitar but every once in a while we get a keyboard or accordion,” said Brian Nitz, Dioko manager.

Dioko also has live bands every Friday with a cover of either three or four dollars.

On Sept. 30 the coffee house will feature Star Fadu, a band from Springfield.

“Weird name, but they’re one of the better bands that we bring in,” Nitz said.

Nitz said he wants to get in some jazz bands. Dioko had a jazz band play last spring that had some Missouri Southern faculty and students in it.

Art exhibits are another reason to visit Dioko.

It features everything from photo and painting to sculpture.

“Between college students and private artists there is almost always an exhibit,” Nitz said.

“We’ve had students and faculty from the University exhibit here and I’m always looking for new people to draw interest.”

Nitz said that there is never a fee to exhibit, even if the artist wants to sell his artwork.

Dioko also has a variety of food from sandwiches and salads to desserts and pastries.

It also has a variety of coffee available.

“We don’t have a fixed coffee menu like a lot of places around here,” Nitz said.

“We can do any specialty coffee drink you want,” Nicki Ashwell, one of Dioko’s barista’s.

Dioko also provides wireless high-speed Internet free of charge to customers who have laptops with wireless access cards.

Nitz said Dioko is a quiet place for students to come to study and relax on one of the couches available when there isn’t music playing.

Dioko is also available for conferences.

Nitz said he only needs to know a day in advance unless the group is large and needs catering.

And, on top of what Dioko provides its customers, there is a 10 percent discount available for Southern students.

Dioko is located at 514 S. Main St. in Joplin. For more information on events at Dioko, call 623-4455.