 "Photo: Ashley Biro")
When students (with some help from parents) pack up those duffels and suitcases in May for the long-awaited three-month summer vacation, the thought of returning to the familiar and routine places on campus in the fall is the last thing on their minds. As of summer 2009, students can expect to see some changes to those familiar places along with new faces and businesses when they move back in this fall.
Some will be happy to know that only one business moved out — and was replaced while we were gone on summer vacation.
Mizu Sushi, located in the space where Two Brothers Chicken & Burgers used to be, is bringing fresh new flair, along with fresh fish, to Main Street.
Manager Bryan Kim emphasizes Mizu’s uniqueness in the Newark community, without the predictable college-town fare of half-pound calzones and buckets of fried wings.
The Mizu staff is excited to be able to offer a wide variey of sushi rolls to students and Newark residents alike, he says.
“UD students love sushi,” Kim says.
Owner Michael Suh operates several Mizu restaurants in Philladelphia, with one located on the University of Pennsylvania campus. When Suh decided Mizu was ready to expand, he looked to college campuses outside the Philadelphia area, and the final decision came down to a space to Penn State University or the University of Delaware.
Mizu opened Aug. 27, and Kim says the Mizu staff is looking forward to being an active member of the community while offering something different to its customers.
The grand opening of the restaurant, timed with the return of UD students to campus, was a coincidence, Kim says. In fact, they had tried to open earlier. He says he is pleased with the timing of the opening, however, because the process was not rushed and went smoothly.
Kim says he is already planning additions to the restaurant, possibly expanded menu to include teriyaki dishes.
“The more I get to know it, the more I like Newark,” Kim says.
The University Mini Mart, located right across from 7-Eleven on E. Delaware Avenue, opened June 24. Manager Jay Patel says he and his father, who is the owner of the convenience store, opened their store near the university campus because of the students. The Patels chose to open up during the summer to settle in before the crowds of students rush in during all hours of the night.
Saxbys Coffee in Amstel Square, off Elkton Road, is another addition to the Newark community. Owner Walt Chiquoine says he and his staff are more than ready for the heavy influx of university students craving their morning cups o’ joe.
As a Newark resident and university alum with an M.B.A. from the Alfred Lerner School of Business and Economics, Chiquoine is confident in Saxbys' position as a “solid member” of the Newark community. He says setting up shop in Newark is an excellent opportunity to serve the college students and residents of the Newark area.
The development of Amstel Square, located right across from the Rodney and Dickinson complexes and in close proximity to the Alfred Lerner School of Business and Economics, was an enticing business proposition to Chiquoine. Construction had not even begun when he secured a spot for his Saxbys shop, which is one of many franchises across the country.
The location, Chiquoine says, will help better serve the business and music students who frequent the area, as well as the graduate students living in the apartments upstairs.
Chiquoine says he is “extremely proud” of the selections Saxbys offers, is looking forward to the return of the college crowd, and urges anyone and everyone to come in and try one of their beverages.
Saxbys offers freshly brewed coffee and tea, outside seating, free Wi-fi, and a “wonderful place to come and sit and relax,” he says.
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