Passing down the Saxbys torch: Leila Johnson
By Madison Lewis
SAXBYS is a breakfast staple on Rider’s campus, caffeinating college students as they tackle unceasing homework and extracurricular activities. Yet, rejuvenating tired students is not Saxbys’ only purpose. Saxbys helps business majors build a foundation for their future careers and ventures.
In partnership with the Norm Brodsky College of Business, there is a new student CEO (cafe executive officer) selected at the start of every semester. This year it is junior accounting major Leila Johnson.
Johnson, who uses she/they pronouns, is an internal hire as a three-year Saxbys student-worker. To prepare for her authoritative position, she plans to focus on developing a business to customer rapport with the Rider community by planning more events.
“We are almost like a club on campus,” she said. “[Students can] see us as more than just the people making the burritos.”
Johnson underwent a two-to-three day training course at Saxbys headquarters in Philadelphia to cultivate her managerial style and prepare her for all her new responsibilities — her priorities are community engagement, team development and financial management.
Her responsibilities include controlling finances, ordering and preparing products, and encouraging the staff when they are under pressure.
Stepping into the role was not a drastic change for Johnson because she had been a manager at a concession stand in Westampton, New Jersey, since 2019. She was also a manager and team trainer at Whole Foods.
At Rider, she holds positions on the executive boards of four clubs on campus: the Korean Pop Culture Club, Korean Culture Association, Women’s Club Volleyball Team and Pulse Dance Crew.
“She was made for this role,” said senior management and leadership major Jovanni Bautista-Monfil, who worked for Saxbys alongside Johnson for three years.
Johnson’s operations are different from past student CEOs, as she is taking her work life into the virtual world. The student CEO at Saxbys must complete a capstone project as part of the internship or co-op process. Johnson is vlogging her experience, recording the daily shenanigans.
Johnson feels that her vlogging helps build a stronger bond between the co-workers, as it balances the serious and fun aspects of the job.
“It is chaos at Saxbys all the time,” said Johnson, reminiscing on the rush of orders between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and the tight space they have to work in.
Some of Saxbys’ signature chaos can be attributed to its long wait time. Two new features were implemented this year to alleviate issues: the introduction of the prioritization of online orders over in-person ones, and the “in a rush” list.
If students are scrambling from class and need a pick-me-up, they can order from the “in a rush” list, a menu curated for students on the go.
“We are a small but mighty cafe,” she said. “We are a bigger team now, so we are growing and we are developing.”
Johnson uses past student CEOs as models for her managerial style, and the phrase “we are a small but mighty cafe” is a reminder of the fall 2023 student CEO Minhal Mir. Johnson also credited spring 2024 student CEO Madison Rattiner for her effective organizational and communication skills. The fall 2022 student CEO, Grace Ramsey, taught Johnson how to be level-headed.
The new environment at Saxbys has hints of each past student CEO as they bring new perspectives and priorities to the cafe.
This year, students’ coffee cups come with motivational phrases from the staff. The cups have messages like “Slay the day queen” or “Stay locked in” with an encouraging smiley face for good measure.