John Brumbaugh

Family-owned and operated Dragon Express is a spot many students go to satisfy their Chinese food cravings.

Dine in or takeout Dragon Express, 314 W. Broomfield Road, located next to the Towers residence halls, offers a variety of authentic Chinese food, including the items readily available on the steam table and also a fresh-to-order menu.

“Most people don’t know we offer a menu other than what is available on the steam table that is always fresh to order,” said Dragon Express employee and Rochester Hills senior Mike Giudici.

The menu offers an array of Chinese cuisine, including Shanghai noodles, chow mein, chop suey, sweet and sour chicken, fried rice and more.

“Our most popular items are located on the steam table. Most people come for our orange chicken and egg rolls; for those who order off the menu, the most popular item is our general chicken, which is a spicy, crunchier version of our orange chicken,” Giudici said.

Although customers can choose from the steam table or the fresh-to-order menu, most customers order from the steam table.

“Customers just don’t want to wait. We provide a quick service providing quality food that could be compared with the quickness of a drive-thru. Most people come and go,” said Dragon Express owner Kelvin Sun.

The location of Dragon Express was not always considered a good spot, Sun said.

“We love this location compared to when we purchased Dragon Express in 1999. Most people doubted the choice of location because so many businesses have proved unsuccessful in this same spot,” he said.

Students find Dragon Express a great place to stop and eat.

“Around 60 percent of our customers are CMU students, but we also get professors, locals and Mount Pleasant high school students,” said Dragon Express employee and Muroran sophomore Taro Takizawa.

A number of its customers come from the Towers, Giudici said.

“It is really a benefit for us that we are located so close to the dorms and 7-Eleven; it brings in a lot of customers,” Takizawa said.

The football season brings many tailgaters and visitors into Dragon Express.

“Football season brings in a lot of old faces. Many graduates come in that miss my place and food,” Sun said.

Advertising has really never been an issue for the small, convenient restaurant, he said.

“Being in a small town, people know my place,” Sun said. “I have a lot of regular customers, including a lot of locals; the location reaches to the student consumers.”

Sun owned a restaurant in Saginaw for 15 years and decided to come to Mount Pleasant for a different experience.

“We were looking for something simpler, and our business has been better here,” Sun said.

Employees find working at Dragon Express to be rewarding though difficult at times.

“Working with the customers can be my favorite part of the job, but that can also be the hardest part of the job,” Takizawa said.

Giudici said during busy times it can get difficult keeping up with customer satisfaction, and the customer volume can become overwhelming.

“During some of their busiest days, the cooks spend the entire day continuously cooking.” Takizawa said

“I have been working at Dragon Express for almost two years, and it is a very good job,” Giudici said.

Dragon Express is open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

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