POUGHKEEPSIE-Philade lphia-based B Corp Saxbys is set to open its first cafe in New York state this fall at Marist College leveraging the Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform (The Saxbys E.L.P.), a network of cafes designed for and run by students. Saxbys will be located in Marist’s newly reimagined Dyson Center, a state-of-the-art facility opening fall 2024 that will be a hub for student learning, collaboration, and campus events.
Established in 2015, The Saxbys E.L.P. supports students by providing them with in-depth entrepreneurial opportunities to enrich traditional classroom learning. Through the Student Cafe Executive Officer (SCEO) role, The Saxbys E.L.P. has created student leaders who consistently outpace national averages for on-time graduation and full-time job placement – many of whom fast-track to leadership roles after graduation. The cafe is being opened in partnership with Marist College’s dining service provider, Gourmet Dining, which has opened several cafes with Saxbys since 2021. This latest partnership connects seamlessly to the College’s Marist 100 strategic plan, which emphasizes student-centered teaching and learning opportunities and making Marist a leader in experiential learning.
“As an education company, Saxbys is deeply committed to supporting and empowering the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs,” said Nick Bayer, Founder and CEO of Saxbys. “And since Marist College is frequently recognized as one of the top colleges for ‘Colleges That Create Futures,’ this is an incredible partnership that will benefit generations of Marist students,” said Bayer.
Marist College’s Dean of the School of Management, Dr. Will Lamb, echoed a similar sentiment: “Having a nationally-recognized company like Saxbys on campus offering a student-run business is the perfect example of Marist’s distinctive educational approach in action. We are constantly innovating new ways to combine a liberal arts foundation with professional training, and this new partnership will give our students practical, hands-on experience running a business while developing critical competencies in leadership and managing people.”
The partnership was proposed by New Jersey-based Gourmet Dining, Marist’s on-campus dining service provider, and is part of the multiple engaged learning programs that Gourmet continues to initiate on campus.
“Gourmet Dining is a huge advocate of engaged learning and serving the community,” says Anthony Frungillo, Executive Vice President of Gourmet Dining. “It is our goal to bring together great partners that can mutually benefit each other. We have had very successful partnerships with Saxbys and look forward to another at Marist. We are excited that we were able to help expedite Saxbys’ program into New York state!”
In the coming months, Saxbys and Marist College will announce the inaugural SCEO, a student leader who will undoubtedly leave an impact on the campus community. A ribbon-cutting for the opening of the new cafe will be held shortly after the start of the fall semester. To learn more about Saxbys, including their one-of-a-kind micro-credential badges and paid on-campus business leadership opportunities, visit hellosaxbys.com.
