Claire Goudreau, Jul 14
Hopkins Dining is partnering with four local vendors to bring a coffee shop, a full-service restaurant, and four quick-service food stalls to the new student center set to open this fall on Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus.
“We’ve ended up with a great selection from across the Baltimore landscape,” says Matt Moss, assistant vice provost for Hopkins Dining and auxiliary services. “We were very intentional about going local and really being able to celebrate the restaurant scene here in Baltimore. … Food is such an emotional tie to your community. We hope these partners bring that taste of home.”
More than 100 local food vendors were considered for the opportunity to be a part of the student center. Finalists came to Homewood campus in March for a food expo, where more than 200 Hopkins students, staff, and faculty members sampled select dishes and voted for their favorites.
The student center’s food hall will be located on its first floor, with seating for 150 people. The restaurant, named Mo’s Place in honor of 1957 JHU graduate and former board of trustees chair Morris Offit, will be on the third floor with a pathway connecting it directly to the Brody Learning Commons.
“When students are finished studying for the day, they can pop over to Mo’s and grab a bite,” Moss says. “They can just relax for a minute, have an opportunity to socialize. It’s been really well positioned to give students a break.”
All student center vendors will accept Dining Dollars in addition to credit cards.
The selected vendors are:
Koshary
Iman Moussa is no stranger to Homewood. For years, students have ventured just southwest of campus for her R House food stall, Koshary Corner, and its plant-forward, Mediterranean-inspired menu. The business takes its name and signature dish from Egypt’s most popular street food, the koshary bowl, which combines rice, lentils, pasta, tomato sauce, chickpeas, and fried onions.
“It’s one of my favorite foods ever,” Moussa says. “I was astounded that it didn’t exist anywhere close to me, so I was like, ‘OK, let’s fix this problem.'”
Koshary Corner was founded to promote sustainable food and compassion for the planet, with a particular emphasis on vegan dishes. The team has since expanded to serve halal meat, meaning its Hopkins menu will include beef and chicken shawarma alongside Egyptian-style falafel and a variety of eggplant dishes.
Hopkins students already make up a large portion of Koshary Corner’s customer base, according to Moussa. By opening a food stall on the Homewood campus, she hopes her team will be able to support this group even more effectively.
“We are very grateful and proud that we are well known at Hopkins,” Moussa says. “I didn’t realize that until we opened at R House, and the first summer our revenue declined significantly. I was like, ‘Oh, what happened?’ and then I discovered that everyone from Hopkins was on summer vacation!”
Connie’s
Growing up, brothers Shawn and Khari Parker saw firsthand how their mother, Connie, could bring people together through her cooking. Those memories serve as the main inspiration for their restaurant, Connie’s Chicken and Waffles, which will launch its third location, at Hopkins.
“As part of our evolution, we’ve updated our name to simply Connie’s,” Shawn Parker says. “Our concept has grown far beyond chicken and waffles.”
In addition to Connie’s signature dish, the JHU location will offer chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, wings, fish, and breakfast sandwiches. This menu will undergo further adjustments once the team gets more familiar with the Hopkins community.
“This is more than just a new location for us. It’s a chance to contribute to campus life, serve great food, and be a part of something meaningful,” Shawn Parker says. “Hopkins is a world-class institution with strong ties to Baltimore, and this partnership means a lot to us as a homegrown business.”
Added Moss: “We know the desire that many students have for great chicken tenders. It seems to be a fan favorite. So finding a partner in Connie’s, where really that’s their expertise, was a great fit.”
Read more: Local restaurants find new home at Johns Hopkins student center | Hub
