Saxbys opened its first New York location at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus on Wednesday, Oct. 1. The grand opening was attended by University President Tania Tetlow, Saxbys Founder and CEO Nick Bayer, Student CEO Aidan Engelmann GSB ’26, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality’s Vice President of Growth Chanel Brown and many students, faculty and staff.
The student-run coffee chain commemorated its opening with an event in Fordham Lincoln Center’s Garden Lounge, located to the right of the newly opened Saxbys Coffee.
The event began promptly at 10 a.m. with a lively DJ, free merch for attendees in the form of a reusable cup, games, prizes and samples of Saxbys coffee and pastries.
After guests were invited to try samples, Saxbys founder and CEO, Nick Bayer, introduced inaugural student CEO, Engelmann, to speak to the crowd. “New York is our campus, Fordham is our school, and Saxbys is now our cafe,” Engelmann said.
Tetlow relayed her excitement and hope for Saxbys opening and its future at Fordham.
Aramark announced its collaboration with Saxbys at Fordham Lincoln Center. “At Aramark, it’s more than just the food, it is about the experience,”Brown said.
Saxbys’ menu includes 17 hot beverage options, seven cold beverage options, three special beverage collections, bakery options, five all-day breakfast options, eight grilled cheese options and two frozen latte options.
Attendees seemed to be pleased with the service. “The service was really fast, even though it’s their first day and it’s crazy busy,” said Julia Diamond, FCLC ’29. “The whole vibe of the cafe is really cute. I am really excited to be able to use dining dollars to get a chai latte.”
There was plenty of positive feedback regarding the food and drinks. “My drink is really good and there are a lot of options,” Melanie Ordonez, FCLC ’29, said about her iced vanilla latte with oat milk and cream foam.
When asked about Saxbys replacing Argo Tea, attendees, who were majority first-years, said they were excited about Argo and disappointed at its closing. However, this changed when they found out Saxbys would be coming to campus.
“I saw so many YouTube videos talking about how exciting Argo Tea was and I was so excited, then I was devastated … but I’m happy … I think that this is going to be great for us,” Ordonez said.
Emily Roca, FCRH ’27, a shift leader, spoke about her experience at Saxbys so far. She first saw a team member position open on Handshake and decided to apply since she had prior barista experience. After four short interviews, she was offered the position and eventually trained up to team lead.
Kim Lazzara, FCRH ’27, said that the interview process was “a lot more formal than anticipated.”
When asked about the Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform (E.L.P), Roca said, “They are very dedicated to being by students, for students. I, myself, was able to be trained up to team lead … so that means I am both ServSafe certified and I also have a special New York City managing license … No matter what position you have on our staff, you have access to these business certifications.”
According to Roca, Saxbys has not received a health department inspection grade yet and is waiting for the NYC Health Department to make a visit. “We are doing everything in our power to get that A,” Roca said.
