Student-Run Cafe Set to Open in Dyson Center Next Fall
Photo from a tour of Saxbys headquarters in Philadelphia. Photo by Michele Williams
Saxbys, a fully student-run cafe, will open in the newly renovated Dyson Center early next semester. Solely run by students, it will be led by student CEO Mabel Aronson ‘25.
Saxbys, a fully student-run cafe, will open in the newly renovated Dyson Center early next semester.
A team of 40-plus students will soon be tasked with operating the cafe. Though Dyson is anticipated to open at the start of the semester, the Marist College community will have to wait a little longer for Saxbys, which is targeting late September for its grand opening.
“We will do a couple of weeks of training before we actually open the doors,” said Heather Hallenbeck, Marist director of Experiential Learning. “When we come back, we’ll get everyone situated, then have a grand opening.”
With anticipated hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the new food and drink spot will offer all-day breakfast, coffee, teas and energy drinks. The new eatery will also offer student employees a valuable experience working in a professional environment on campus.
Though it will function as a place for students to eat, drink and hang out, it will be unlike any other food option on campus due to its staff being solely composed of students. “The student element is really unique,” added Hallenbeck.
The Saxbys staff will be led by the inaugural Student CEO, Mabel Aronson ‘25. “This opportunity came up, and I thought it’d be great,” said Aronson. She first heard about the available position through a friend.
“I work at Kelly’s Bakery off-campus, and I have a lot of other food experience,” said Aronson. “She thought I’d be interested, so she told me about it.”
From there, Aronson went through four rounds of interviews. First was a phone call interview, followed by two interviews with Saxbys staff members, culminating in one last interview with Saxbys CEO Nick Bayer, before she was officially offered the role of Student CEO.
“It’ll give me the experience to run my own business, which is something I’ve always toyed with the idea of,” said Aronson.
Saxbys has locations on many college campuses around the country, where it implements its Experiential Learning Platform, a program that allows students to gain valuable professional experiences at a young age.
“They’re an education company disguised as a cafe,” said Hallenbeck. “They’ve built in a lot of training and certification for all levels of employees.”
ELP focuses on three main pillars: team development, financial management and community leadership. Team development relates to how students work and manage people within the cafe, while the financial management realm of the business deals with managing profits and losses, with the students ultimately being responsible for company performance.
“I have experience making coffees, working with customers and food preparation, so all of those things tie in and will lend a hand to any easy transition,” said Aronson.
Lastly, community leadership is focused on creating an impact here at Marist. “Hopefully, that's where students are going to hang out, get something to drink and meet,” said Hallenbeck. “It’ll really be a part of the heart and soul of the Dyson Center.”
Positions were open to students of all majors, as interviewing began in early March. Information regarding the Saxbys Cafe was passed through campus by email, and announcements were made on Brightspace.
“I saw it on the Business Club Brightspace page, but also they sent it to everyone through email,” said Saxbys team member Ashley Theisen ‘26.
Next up for Aronson is “Student CEO Boot Camp,” a week-long training program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this June. There, Aronson will gain in-depth knowledge on how to run a Saxbys location, and she’ll learn alongside other Student CEOs from across the country.
“It will be nice to meet them and stay in touch with them,” said Aronson. “If any questions arise, we can lean on each other and bounce ideas off each other, which will be really nice.”