Large maroon chairs, the smell of coffee beans, calm chatter — it can only be one place: Saxbys. This Lehigh staple is where community members go to study, socialize and unwind in a comfortable setting.
The popular café opened nearly three years ago and was the first corporate-owned location built near a college campus. Its proximity to Lehigh has led to a close relationship with the student body. Saxbys cares deeply about the surrounding community, according to Justin Pizzi, the vice president of sales and marketing.
“Being there a couple of years, we feel like we have really become a part of the community because we can offer something that people need — not just coffee and smoothies — but hospitality, just a smile and a ‘good morning,’” Pizzi said.
He added that Saxbys tries to build cafés that fit in well with their surrounding communities, so Saxbys at Lehigh was built with the university in mind. They do this by incorporating a large wall featuring Lehigh photos and maintaining a very comfortable atmosphere.
Although Saxbys is best known for its coffee, its menu offers a wide selection of food and beverages, including smoothies, sandwiches and salads. According to Pizzi, Saxbys is committed to serving quality food to guests. They use all-natural ingredients in many of their products, such as smoothies, pumpkin spice lattes and dark chocolate peppermint mochas, he said.
Saxbys is focused on catering to the desires of their guests, so they will be adding an assortment of flavored cold brew lattes to the menu next month, he said. Although the flavors have not been officially announced yet, one flavor will be salted caramel. Since cold brew lattes have been one of Saxbys’s most popular drinks for years, he said they are excited to make this addition to the menu.
“We have been testing them at our headquarters and people have been flipping out over them,” Pizzi said.
With most sales from Saxbys Lehigh coming from students and staff members, this market serves as an integral component of Saxbys’s business, Pizzi said.
“I like that it’s close to campus, but it still gives me a place where I can get into a different environment for a little bit and it’s not just my office,” said Andrea Barker, the assistant director of student activities.
Barker said she buys coffee at Saxbys several times a week. She also enjoys the vibrant, inviting and comfortable atmosphere, she said.
Saxbys serves many functions for its visitors, ranging from a study spot to a meeting spot.
Kara Torrisi, ’16, said she likes to study in Saxbys instead of at the library because of the warm and friendly environment. She also enjoys meeting and spending time with people there.
Helen Ard, ’17, is also a regular customer at Saxbys. She orders the “red eye” coffee with two shots of espresso and visits Saxbys at least three times a week. She said she is a fan of the décor and versatility of the space.
“Normally, I do work and if I have any meetings with people, I come to Saxbys,” Ard said.
Saxbys been successful with integrating itself into the Lehigh community. According to Pizzi, the company places much of its good fortune on the shoulders of their dedicated team members.
“Our team loves what we do, but we also do it very practically so we can be successful,” he said.
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