Students at the University of Mount Saint Vincent are now running a working cafe business on the first floor of the Elizabeth Seton Library, handling everything from budgets to staffing as part of a new partnership with Saxbys. The campus cafe launched on Sept. 23, and the Riverdale school held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion, with student Andrew Zweiback stepping into the role of the university's first-ever Student Cafe Executive Officer.
Since the cafe's launch, Zweiback has been learning to build out the new operation while trying to keep things upbeat for both his team and the customers walking through the door, according to Bronx Times. He told the outlet that leading the cafe has pushed him to communicate with all kinds of people, listen closely to his team, and keep everything moving when several things are happening at once.
The role has given Zweiback hands-on exposure most undergraduates don't get until after graduation. He said it has meant real experience managing team members, handling day-to-day operations, working with budgets, solving problems, and creating memorable experiences for guests — skills he's hoping to carry into a career in sports industry operations, per the same Bronx Times report.
A Business Degree You Can Taste
The arrangement goes well beyond pouring coffee. According to a Saxbys announcement, the partnership was designed so students fully operate a campus business, including taking on real profit-and-loss responsibility, with students from any major eligible for paid, credit-bearing roles tied to the cafe. The university's own cafe page notes that the space is crafted for students, by students, and that UMSV My Dollars are accepted there, per the school's dining services listing.
For now, UMSV student staff are getting the real-world application of their business courses, earning internship credit, getting paid to work, and leading, the Bronx Times reported. It's a model Saxbys describes as giving students full responsibility for running their own dynamic, bustling cafe in the center of campus, according to the company's description of its Experiential Learning Platform.
Joining a Growing National Network
Saxbys says it has developed more than 3,000 student leaders and served over 9 million guests across more than 30 cafes nationwide, and that former Student CEOs have advanced into post-graduation leadership positions seven times faster than their peers, by the company's own account. The company also points to a 2022 Coursera survey finding that 86% of U.S. employers agree an industry microcredential strengthens a candidate's job application.
Mount Saint Vincent's cafe is currently the only Saxbys location among Bronx universities, Bronx Times reported. Other schools have built similar programs: the University of Texas at Arlington introduced its inaugural student CEO at a cafe grand opening on Aug. 12, with the university reporting the location employed about 24 team members while hiring toward more than 30. Rider University has run a similar setup in Sweigart Hall since 2021, with its cafe page noting students there gain practical experience, develop leadership skills and earn academic credit.
Saxbys' model traces back further still — the company launched its Experiential Learning Platform with an inaugural cafe at Drexel University on April 13, 2015, before expanding to a network the Cornell Daily Sun once put at 30 cafes across nine states, 26 of them completely run by college students.
From the Diamond to the Register
Zweiback's path to campus business leader runs through the baseball diamond — he plays for the University of Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins baseball team, adding a sports connection to his stated interest in pursuing operations work in that industry after graduation. University President Susan R. Burns reportedly offered him some simple advice on opening day: enjoy the day and lean into the learning experience.
