By, Grant Terwilliger
Saxby’s Experiential Learning Cafe, SUNY Plattsburgh’s newest food option, opened its doors September 9 with an opening ceremony that included campus community members President Alexander Enyedi, Vice President Karen McGrath and Student CEO Ashlee Morris.
Saxby’s on SUNY Plattsburgh’s campus is the 30th location that the Philadelphia based chain has opened and it is the first partnership between Sodexo and Saxby’s. Saxby’s is an Experiential Learning Cafe, meaning that the cafe is completely run by students. The inaugural cafe team includes 31 members.
CEO and founder of Saxby’s Nick Bayer said that he is in awe of the fact that 100% of student CEO’s have graduated from college and have gone off to get promoted into leadership positions seven times faster than an average college graduate.
“We describe Saxby’s as an education company that is disguised as a coffee company,” Bayer said. “Our mission as a company is to make life better, and we do that certainly with great cold brew, but more importantly, we do that by empowering and supporting the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.”
Alexander Enyedi, SUNY Plattsburgh’s president, said that he looks forward to seeing the cafe become a vibrant gathering place and an incubator for student leadership.
“The decisions are real that happen in this space. The responsibilities are real and because the work is real, the learning will be both deeper and incredibly impactful,” Enyedi said. “Students from every major will be eligible to participate and regardless of their field of study, they will gain skills that will serve them throughout their careers.”
Enyedi said that students will learn critical thinking skills, communication, adaptability, teamwork, resilience and the ability to lead others.
Students will have the opportunity to learn leadership, make financial decisions and take responsibility in customer satisfaction while earring academic credit towards their degrees.
Enyedi said that the cafe is an opportunity for students to discover what they are capable of accomplishing and prepare not only for their first job, but opportunities and challenges throughout their careers. Enyedi congratulated Student CEO Morris and Justin Thomas, student vice president of campus marketing.
“Ashlee and Justin, you are our trailblazers, and you will shape what this cafe and this experience will become. We are so proud of you, and most importantly, we look forward to seeing where your leadership takes this team,” Enyedi said.
The cafe allows students to learn by trying and sometimes failing. Vice President McGrath said that making mistakes is okay because it allows for growth along the way.
The relationships that students build and the sense of belonging students develop is an important part of success, McGrath said.
“I think food is this incredible way of bringing people together. Some of the best conversations happen over that cup of coffee or over lunch, breakfast, or dinner,” Mcgrath said. “We gather around food to celebrate, to catch up, to make new friends, to work through an idea or sometimes just take a break from everything else going on in our life.”
Ellen Wilson, president and chief operating officer of Sodexo campus services, said that the best partnerships begin with listening carefully, thinking differently and creating solutions that enrich the community, all of which Saxby’s reflects. Wilson expressed her gratitude for Thomas, the inaugural members of Saxby’s and Morris.
“Ashlee, you’ve already demonstrated tremendous commitment through the CEO camp, onboarding, training, and preparing your team for today,” Wilson said. “You now have the exciting opportunity to lead this team and create a very successful and lasting program.”
Morris went through around five or six interviews for the position of student CEO and a culminating interview with Bayer before she was offered the position. Bayer said that he knew she would be the perfect fit for the position after two minutes of interviewing her because of her positive attitude.
Morris learned that leadership isn’t only about making decisions, but uplifting others.
“It’s about creating an environment where other people can learn, contribute, and feel supported. I’m really grateful that I get to learn alongside a team of people from my own campus,” Morris said.
Morris said that so far it’s been a unique experience being a part of something from the beginning and a special way to start her senior year. Morris has been working over the last few months preparing and organizing operations for the opening of Saxby’s.
“My vision is for Saxby’s. To become a cornerstone of campus,” Morris said. “A place where students can stop in before class, grab a cold brew with a friend, sit down and get some work done, or just have somewhere to go during a busy day.”
*Kimora DeCoteau is Cardinal Points graphics editor and a member of Saxby’s team. DeCoteau did not influence the coverage of this article.
