Popular food truck Mei Mei Street Kitchen opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant on Park Drive Monday, giving Boston University students living in South Campus a new option in neighborhood eateries.
Mei Mei co-owner Irene Li said she looks forward to catering to BU students at the new restaurant’s 506 Park Drive location. Mei Mei’s food truck serves students and faculty each Thursday when the truck parks outside of Alfred L. Morse Auditorium on Commonwealth Avenue, Li said.
“BU has been so great [about us] feeding the faculty, students [and] staff on a regular basis,” she said.
The restaurant replaces Giga’s Pizza, which shut down in January due to unforseen markups in monthly rent. BU students mourned the loss of Giga’s, many of whom said the resturant was a popular spot for South Campus residents because of its service and convenience.
Mei Mei menu feautures locally sourced food from the Northeast with a traditional Chinese flair, Li said.
The restaurant will offer an expanded menu at certain times of day, with street food choices at lunch, and additional medium and large-size entrees designed to be shared at dinner.
Li said she was pleased with the new restaurant’s grand opening.
“Today went super smoothly,” Li said. “We were extremely proud of our staff, many of whom who have no formal restaurant experience or no formal commercial kitchen experience, and I think they really knocked it out of the park today.”
Mei Mei Guest Service Manager Alex Kim said staff handled the transition well, considering many have little restaurant training.
“People don’t really know much about our staff, other than that they are super friendly and like to have a lot of fun,” he said. “But a lot of us have very little and most of us have no restaurant experience, especially in terms of opening a restaurant.”
Kim said Mei Mei intends to train its staff to work in multiple positions, whether selling food from the food truck, or serving food in the restaurant.
“We are going to cross-train everybody,” he said. “We want everyone to experience both sides of Mei Mei, so far being a truck and a restaurant. In [the] kitchen and [the] front of house, everyone knows, understands and therefore respects all the positions that exist.”
College of Arts and Sciences senior Zac Ben Hamad said he ate at Mei Mei’s for the first time at the new restaurant’s grand opening Monday and enjoyed his meal.
“I was very excited for the opening of the restaurant,” he said. “I heard lots of good things and it didn’t disappoint at all. I had the rice porridge with beef and the beef dumplings and they were both excellent.”
Hamad, who lives on St. Mary’s Street, said he plans to visit the restaurant again, especially because of its convenient location on South Campus.
“I’m looking forward to eating everything on their menu,” he said.
College of Communication junior Cassidy Bissell, who lives on Beacon Street, said South Campus could use more reasonably priced restaurants for student residents.
“There are restaurants all the way down Beacon Street more toward Brookline, but there’s not a lot in this area,” she said.
CAS junior Julian Lijtszain said she looks forward to trying Mei Mei’s cuisine at the new restaurant location.
“From a few friends that went there today, I heard it was really good,” she said. “I was actually going to go there tonight, but it’s closed early, so I’m thinking about going with [some friends] during this week.”
Mei Mei’s opening will have a positive effect on the South Campus area by giving students more dining options, Lijtzain said.
“I was really excited, especially because there used to be a restaurant here before this and they closed. So having a replacement to go to is comforting and exciting.”
CAS junior Katherine Kao said she looks forward to having another place to eat more of Mei Mei’s innovative cuisine.
“I’m pretty excited about it, because at least from the food truck, the food’s pretty good and the staff is always really cheerful,” she said. “… Mei Mei can take my money every time.”
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