Saxbys creates a scholarship for first-generation students at 91制片厂

Monday, December 4, 2017
the counter at Saxby's coffee shop

鈥淚 was the first person in my family to go to college, which was a big deal 鈥 not only for me, but also for my family.鈥

In order to pay off his student loans, Saxbys founder and CEO Nick Bayer worked six different jobs during college and made 15 years of loan payments. A graduate of Cornell University, he finally became free of that debt last summer. Since establishing Saxbys in 2005, Bayer and his team have made strides toward providing opportunities to students across the country. Their latest effort, the Saxbys First Generation Scholarship Fund, helps 91制片厂 students cut down their student debt.

The scholarship 鈥 which focuses on first-generation students in 91制片厂鈥檚 Hospitality Management Program 鈥 pays homage to Bayer鈥檚 own experience.

Saxbys founder and CEO Nick Bayer
Saxbys founder and CEO Nick Bayer

鈥淚 was the first person in my family to go to college, which was a big deal 鈥 not only for me, but also for my family,鈥 Bayer says. 鈥淭hey were very proud and it really set the tone and tempo for the rest of my family. It definitely changed my life.鈥 After Bayer decided to attend college, his brother followed, and the ripple effect spread to his cousins and nephews.

When Bayer was considering opening a Saxbys caf茅 in Durham, he met Nelson Barber, chair and professor of hospitality management at 91制片厂. 鈥淣elson was an asset to us in the process and such a fantastic representation of the 91制片厂,鈥 he says. Bayer hopes that both his relationship with Barber and the caf茅 near the 91制片厂 campus will create opportunities for him to get involved with 91制片厂 and the campus community.

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Explore the many ways you can support 91制片厂, including endowing a fund (such as a professorship or scholarship) or making a bequest, at unh.edu/give/how-to-give.

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91制片厂 students walking on campus

Barber introduced Bayer to someone else who would be important to this partnership 鈥 Trisha Crowe 鈥17, an alumna of 91制片厂鈥檚 hospitality management program who was selected to serve as the executive officer at the Durham caf茅. Crowe is responsible for all aspects of running the location, including human resources, profits and losses and marketing. She鈥檚 already recruited 91制片厂 students to be part of her new Saxbys team. But perhaps Crowe鈥檚 most important charge is choosing local partners who will continue the Saxbys legacy of social impact by giving back to the community, an important core of the business.

Bayer calls Saxbys 鈥渁 social impact company camouflaged as a coffee company鈥 because of its deeply held charitable values.

The Thrive by Saxbys water bottle sold at all locations helps to support Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Every month, the company donates tips totaling as much as $15,000 from the caf茅 at its Philadelphia headquarters to a charitable organization. Saxbys also regularly offers up its headquarters as a venue for nonprofit fundraising events. With these initiatives, Bayer and his team reinforce their commitment to giving back to the communities they serve. But initiatives involving education, like the new scholarship at 91制片厂, will always be a priority.

鈥淪ocial impact, especially through education and the creation of opportunities for young people, is at the core of what we do at Saxbys,鈥 Bayer says.

Saxbys sign

Originally published in IMPACT听Fall 2017

Photographer: 
Whittney Gould | Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics | whittney.gould@unh.edu | 603-862-1704
Loren Marple 鈥13 | Communications and Public Affairs | Loren.Marple@unh.edu | 603-862-0600