Saxbys Prepares Student CEO for Future Dream of Cafe Ownership

Ashlee Morris serves up caffeinated drinks and leadership from behind the counter at Saxbys Cafe, the new coffee shop in Hawkins Hall on the SUNY Plattsburgh Campus.

Morris, a senior business administration and entrepreneurship major from Albany, is the first SCEO — “student cafe executive officer” — at the location, which held its grand opening Sept. 9 in the space previously occupied by Einstein Bros. Bagels.

Saxbys, a Philadelphia-based chain with locations at colleges and universities in nearly a dozen states, operates on what its CEO and founder Nick Bayer call an experiential learning platform through which each cafe is managed and led entirely by an undergraduate SCEO.

CAS Connection

Contracted through College Auxiliary Services, the experiential learning concept aligns with SUNY Plattsburgh’s commitment to preparing students through hands-on educational experiences, Catherine Keleher, CAS executive director said before the grand opening.

“Hands-on learning is an essential part of our college curriculum, and Saxbys provides a unique opportunity for students looking for experience in leadership, management, marketing, hospitality, finance and more,” Keleher said.

Morris said the opportunity presented itself when serendipitously saw an ad for the position in the Career Development Center’s jobs listing service, Handshake, as a Saxbys recruiter noticed her on LinkedIn.

“They reached out to me and said I should apply, telling me I’d be really great, so I did,” she said. “It all worked out.” She soon found herself at headquarters during the summer for a week of training.

‘Cold Brew U’

“They call it ‘Cold Brew U,’ Morris said of the time spent in Philadelphia along with other Saxbys student leadership. While there, the inaugural SCEOs learned every aspect of Saxbys Cafe operations — everything from doing inventory and reading profit and loss statements to managing student team members and making the perfect signature grilled cheese sandwiches.

“I’ve always had the idea that I want to own my own business,” she said. “I want a coffee shop of my own someday, and this was the perfect opportunity to learn.”

According to Saxbys, the experiential learning platform really is as its motto insists, “For Students, By Students.” The SCEO takes on full operational, financial and team leadership responsibilities. Morris is in charge of hiring, training and managing a team of student staff members, coaching peer employees and promoting top team members into leadership tracks and working shifts behind the counter alongside her co-workers.

40 Hours, Six Days a Week

Morris has no problem doing that last job. She works 40 hours a week, which she spreads out over six days, taking home a paycheck and 12 credit hours for her trouble. But she’s not complaining.

“It’s a good indication of what it’ll be like when I own my own shop,” she said.

She does take Saturdays off; Sundays are spent doing inventory, and along with two of her team members, she makes the signature sauces and other products that’ll be used during the coming week.

“Then I send the weekly email to update what we’re doing well, what we need to improve on and so forth,” Morris said. On days she has her one class, she works about four hours, she said.

“But I love it. Camp set us up so we would know exactly what to expect, and nothing has come as a surprise,” she said. “I really love what I’m doing. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s definitely very rewarding. This experience confirms what I want to do in my future.”

As part of Saxbys experiential learning platform,  SCEOs are in the job for one semester only. They can apply for other team leadership positions in the cafe if they want. Morris said she may.

“If I have time, I’d love to do another leadership role,” she said. “Or I could just go back to classes for my last semester.”

— Story, Photo by Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs