Zahraa Hadi, Contributing Writer
The line stretched outside Snead Hall, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, as students gathered to celebrate the opening of Saxbys, a new cafe. However, this was more than a place to grab coffee.
Saxbys held its grand opening on Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring balloons, speeches, free meal samples and merchandise. At the center of the celebration was a student: Saxby’s first VCU student CEO, Sean Campbell, who cut a ceremonial ribbon to officially open the cafe.
The cafe is designed to give students more than just an ordinary job. Through Saxbys, students can take on leadership roles and gain hands-on experience running a business, from operations, to marketing, to finance while still in school.
The program reflects the school’s emphasis on transformative leadership, said Bryan Brown, dean of the School of Business. Students can take on meaningful responsibilities while learning to lead ethically and support the people around them.
“When we think about leadership, we don’t just think about any form of leadership,” Brown said. “We talk about transformative leadership, where we want to create and encourage leaders to be ethical and to care about others.”
Their emphasis on students distinguishes VCU’s Saxbys from other coffee shops, according to Abigail White, Saxby’s vice president of marketing. She said they are focused on community growth.
“Every coffee shop is different,” White said. “What really sets us apart is our student centered community.”
Saxbys will have more than 30 employees, with leadership positions structured as semester-long internships, according to White. The cafe is still determining its staffing needs, so more students will have the opportunity to apply for positions in future semesters.
Bianca Quispe, a VCU health services major, attended the ceremony, despite rarely visiting the business hall.
“I definitely think students are going to come by more often now,” Quispe said.
The menu consists of coffees, lattes, teas, smoothies, energy drinks, protein shakes, pastries, wraps, sandwiches and muffins, along with a secret seasonal menu.