The Midway Market opened in the brand new South Campus Residence Hall this past fall. The Midway…read moreMarket is one part coffee shop, one part convenience store, and one part grocery. For me, it is in a perfect location as a coffee shop and it is open every night during the school year from 7:00am - 3:00am. This makes it the only cafe/coffee place in the Hyde Park area open past 9:00! You would think a campus area would have late night locations for studying, but alas it has taken years to get such a place.
ADVICE: the Midway Market is NOT at street level so if you are looking for it along Ellis you might miss it. There are stairs that go down from the courtyard to get to the entrance. Also, you should note that the doors to go in are VERY heavy and I see people all the time try to open them, think it is locked, and then turn away. But if it is before 3:00am and school is in session then it is definitely open. PULL!
MORE ADVICE: After 10:00pm the Midway Market becomes the main destination for all the students in the nearby dorms who are studying or looking for a break from studying. I.e., if you want a place to study be prepared for a steady stream of undergrads coming in large packs, making lots of noise. And it is at this time of night until close that the cafe actually fills up with students trying to study in groups or just hanging out. If you are looking for a noisy student location or a late night snack then this place will be perfect. If you want somewhere quiet, then coming in late at night will not be an option.
PROS: The Midway Market is almost always empty during the day, afternoon, and early evening. I come here almost every evening and I am typically the only person until after 7:00pm. Students definitely come in and out, but they rarely sit down to study. What a shame! Because its not that bad of a place to get some work done and the tables are decent size and the booth-like seats are quite comfy.
They also have a fairly large selection of items for purchase: deli sandwiches, panini, sushi, cereal, candy, chips, cold drinks, COFFEE (of course), cakes, etc. etc.
CONS: There are quite a few. First of all, it was FREEZING all winter long. The building was not well constructed at all and cold air would pour in through the windows, through the outlets on the outer wall, and the heat seemed non-existent. The staff was constantly freezing and always had their coat on, and pretty much anyone sitting inside had on hats and coats as well.
Next, the staff. They range from polite and quiet to downright rude, very loud and unprofessional. For a while there were a few manager types that would come in and yell at the employees very loudly in front of everyone in the store. This was rather disconcerting and seemed mostly about displaying managerial power. When the managers were not there, the staff would yell at each other about how they had been yelled at without just cause and how they had done nothing wrong or about how the managers didn't know what they were doing. And on more than one occasion I saw the staff in complete tears. That said, there are plenty of very nice, friendly people who work here, but it is really hit or miss.
Finally, they have a restocking issue as they frequently run out of the items I want and it will be days or weeks before they get new supply.