STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 46
‘ Best customers in town ’
For 15 years , Cafe 88 has offered quality food to OSU students at convenient prices
Owner Sonia Song holds up a mango and peach smoothie .
Chicken-fried rice is Cafe 88 ' s most popular menu item . Sonia uses to-go cartons for every meal .
As West University Avenue curves north into South Knoblock Street , motorists will see Cafe 88 on the east side of the street . Tucked between a small driveway and the National Guard office , it ’ s where many Oklahoma State University students , staff and faculty head for Asian cuisine , bubble tea or slushies .
Cafe 88 was originally opened in 2009 by two Taiwanese ladies whose original purpose was to offer OSU students another cafeteria option close to campus .
Current owner Zhiying Song , who ’ s originally from China , began working at the restaurant in 2012 and then took over as manager in 2015 . She ’ s known as “ Sonia ” around customers and employees .
She said the original owners just wanted to do something for the students , and her goal is to do the same . COVID-19 and rising inflation have made things difficult for the restaurant , but her prices have only risen two or three times .
“ We try to keep the price low enough for students to feed themselves ,” Song said .
She said in other places she ’ s worked , customers complained about incorrect orders . But her customers are very understanding and allow her to change or fix the problem without complaining .
“ I have the best customers in town ,” Song said . “ Our customers are like angels .”
Although the original food offerings were Taiwanese , little by little , other Asian cuisines have been added – including Chinese entrees , Korean Kim Chi and Singaporean rice noodles .
“ American people like things sweeter ,” Song said . “ And they like chicken more than beef .”
The chicken-fried rice is the most popular item on the menu . Each entree is prepared with fresh ingredients and served in “ to-go ” containers to make it easier for customers to take with them .
Cafe 88 ’ s bubble teas – a drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s – is another popular item on the menu , as well as slushies , with flavors such as papaya , peach and strawberry . Cafe 88 is busiest on Sunday afternoons , with Friday nights being a close second . Song doesn ’ t have delivery drivers , so she uses popular delivery apps ,
which can be expensive – and one time she was scammed . But she has to use them to survive and provide for the demand for “ to-go ” orders .
Song said that even though the big franchises might have a set menu and are very systematic , she believes in eating at small local restaurants . She is adventurous and loves trying new places , and once ate at a small breakfast place near Yale University in Connecticut .
“ It was very small , but it was so good ,” Song said . “ It was the best breakfast I ’ ve ever had .”
Song came to OSU to get her master ’ s in TESOL . Her family moved to Washington D . C . for a time to experience city living , and even moved back to China for a year . But they found that they liked living in Stillwater more .
Like all local small businesses , Song has faced the ups and downs – including a 20 % drop in income post-pandemic .
But her commitment is the same – offering fresh , quality Asian food at affordable prices to hungry college students , staff and faculty .
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STORY BY : JESSICA MARSHALL Stillwater Oklahoma Magazine
PHOTOS BY : Jessica Marshall
Cafe 88 is located at 209 South Knoblock
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 46