The grand opening of Rowan University’s Saxbys Café will take place on Sept. 21 in the lobby of Business Hall at 11 a.m. 

Saxbys is a coffee company headquartered in Philadelphia and the founder of the Saxbys Experiential Learning Program, a pioneering program that provides undergraduate students with entrepreneurial opportunities. This program is also running in many other universities, including Penn State, Temple, and Rider University.

Founded in 2005, Saxbys started as one café and has grown to 18 café locations in different states along the east coast. The mission of the café chain is to “make life better.” They serve the community by offering an uplifting environment filled with friendly faces and delicious coffee. 

The café will be entirely staffed by members of the Rowan community, including the Student Café Executive Officer (SCEO), Melody Wozunk. The SCEO will run all aspects of the café, such as profit and loss statements and team development. They also receive college credit, a salary, and bonuses for their hard work, as well as gaining managerial experience. A new SCEO will be chosen at the start of every semester. 

“I could not be more excited that Saxbys is coming to the Rowan campus, and even more excited that the café will be located in Business Hall where it will be accessible to the hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and visitors – from across the campus and beyond – who pass through our doors each day,” said dean of the College of Business, Sue Lehrman.             

“Saxbys has an innovative business model that engages students in not just the daily operations of the café, but in its ongoing strategic development. I very much look forward to Saxbys opening next week.”​

The program also provides important educational practices. Three months prior to the start of their term, the SCEO will undergo 100 hours of training in three areas that are critical to successfully maintaining a business.

The first area is team development to learn about the hiring process and how to engage a team of about 50 student workers. The next area is community leadership, where they learn to engage with stakeholders and how to become a valued aspect of campus life. Lastly, financial management training is essential to learn about the financial responsibilities of running a business and how to file profit and loss statements.

If you would like to support the hardworking students that made this café a possibility for Rowan University, be sure to attend the grand opening of the café on Tuesday.

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