Silk Road Express opens in Mattin

The Silk Road Express, which was originally located in the Blackstone Apartments, will move into the Mattin Center on Monday, Sept. 9 at 10:30 a.m.

It will replace the cafe serviced by Straight From Seattle, the company that also manages Cafe Q and the Gilman Coffee cart.

"Straight from Seattle cancelled its contract," said Jean DeVito, dining services director. "We have too many cafes on campus. They just weren't doing well."

When the Silk Road Cafe's lease at the Blackstone Apartments ended and the facility was forced out of its 6-year-old location, owner Xiaomei Xue had no place to operate.

"We lost the lease because they wanted something else to be there, something small that doesn't involve cooking," said Xue.

So Dean of Student Life Susan Boswell suggested the University bring the business to the Mattin Center, and the University worked out an agreement with Xue, said H. Carol Mohr, senior director of Housing and Dining Services.

Part of Boswell's vision for the Mattin Center is to provide a viable food facility, said Mohr.

The new facility in the Mattin Center will provide different food options than both the original Silk Road Cafe and the Cyber Cafe serviced by Straight from Seattle.

Whereas "the Cyber Cafe menu consisted mainly of specialty coffee and drinks," said Mohr. "The Silk Road Express offers more Asian and Middle Eastern fare."

Xue said the menu will be much more limited than at her previous location since the Mattin Center is not fully equipped with a kitchen, but she said it will include soups, salads, dumplings and rice platters, among other dishes.

With the Express' wide range of vegetarian platters, DeVito predicts the facility may become a popular hangout for vegetarians.

Xue also said she is adding a new drink popular in Asian society: bubble milk tea.

"There is no grill available in the Mattin Center, so they will not be offering grilled menu items," said Mohr.

DeVito said the cafe's movement might bring the community to campus, but both Mohr and Xao expressed doubts of this development.

"The owner of the cafe is focusing her efforts on the campus community," said Mohr. "With a lack of visibility from the street, she is not anticipating significant community business."

Xao pointed out that, even on Charles Street, most of her customers were Hopkins students or staff.

"The major customer base is going to be Hopkins-related," she said.