A new Saxbys coffee shop will be in the UTA Bookstore on Spaniolo Drive. Saxbys was founded in 2005 and opened one of the nation’s first student-run cafés in 2015.
The CEO of Saxbys invited UTA students and faculty to a Q&A at the UTA Bookstore on Tuesday, where he discussed the café’s unique educational programs and student leadership positions.
Nick Bayer founded Saxbys in 2005 and went on to open one of the nation’s first student-run cafés in 2015, where students earn academic credit and are paid through a university cooperative education platform.
Bayer said the mission of Saxbys is to make life better.
“We do that not simply by selling cold brew and grilled cheese, which are amazing products,” Bayer said. “But more importantly, our cafes are 100% student-run, so students are going to receive academic credit, they’re going to be paid wages, and they’re going to have full responsibility for this business.”
Nick Bayer, founder and CEO of Saxbys, answers student questions during a Q&A session April 14 at the UTA Bookstore. The new coffee shop opens on campus Aug. 14.
The UTA location will be the first Texas location. Bayer said there is a deep partnership between the university and the restaurant to give student workers a chance to gain skills outside the classroom, regardless of different educational pathways.
“You’ve got to learn it by getting on your feet, running a real business on a consequential, rich learning environment, and that’s what Saxbys is,” he said.
This is where the Experiential Learning Platform comes in. According to the Saxbys website, Bayer created the platform with Drexel University in 2015, when the first student-run café debuted, to teach students how to prepare for entrepreneurship.
During the Q&A, some students already expressed their interest in applying for positions at the café.
William Munson, hospitality management and real estate junior, said he was interested in applying for a leadership position.
Saxbys whole-bean coffee labeled “Pep Talk” sits beside cups of coffee during a Q&A session April 14 at the UTA Bookstore. The product display highlights the beans that will be served when the new Saxbys location opens on campus.
“Trying to give more life on the UTA campus, because I know that it’s something that lacks just a bit, but bringing a new experience to UTA, and with something coming from the East Coast, I just feel like it’s going to really transcend that narrative to expose more people so that they can do that,” Munson said.
Other students are looking for guidance in their entrepreneurship journey.
“I applied for the role because I want to have my own business someday,” economics sophomore Anish Amartya Saha said. “And I believe it’s going to transfer over to me having my own business someday. I’m just looking for a mentor.”
UTA’s Saxbys will officially open Aug. 14 and will include an opening day celebration.
“There’s just a really big celebration of community, of UT Arlington and Saxbys coming together to benefit students through experiential learning,” Bayer said.
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