Massry Students Take the Lead at Saxbys Cafe
ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 8, 2026) — When Theo Rhynie arrived at the University at Albany three years ago, he remembers sitting with friends in the dining hall excited about unlimited nuggets and fries.
Today, the UAlbany senior is the inaugural student CEO of Saxbys at Morris's Cafe in the Massry School of Business.
Rhynie, a business administration major from Queens with a concentration in finance, is responsible for training and managing student employees, overseeing day-to-day operations and monitoring the cafe’s financial performance.
“Every day I’ve learned something new,” Rhynie said.
At the cafe’s Sept. 3 grand opening, Rhynie joined students, University leaders and representatives from Saxbys, University Auxiliary Services (UAS) and Aramark to cut the ribbon on the new cafe.
Leadership in practice
The cafe is part of the Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform, which places students in charge of a real business while they earn academic credit and are paid for their work. Rhynie leads a team that includes student vice presidents with responsibilities spanning marketing, finance, recruiting and more.
The cafe serves Saxbys cold brew and matcha drinks, all-day breakfast, made-to-order grilled cheeses, Fit Frolattes and more.
For Rhynie, a first-generation college student whose family immigrated from Jamaica, the experience is also a chance to define the kind of leader he wants to be.
“As the semester continues I know we’re going to build more than just a great team but a family,” he said.
Rhynie said he wants to set a strong foundation for future student CEOs and make sure every guest has a great experience at Saxbys.
Building a path in marketing
One of the students helping Rhynie build that foundation is sophomore Arianna D’Silva, a business administration major from Queens with a focus in marketing.
As student vice president of campus marketing, she handles outreach, promotion and networking to connect Saxbys with the wider UAlbany community.
Her interest in entrepreneurship was shaped in part by her father, who owns a Manhattan business specializing in Indian and Chinese cuisine.
“Watching him build his business from the ground up was inspiring,” D’Silva said. “His hard work and dedication showed me what it takes to create something successful.”
D’Silva, who lost her mother when she was 11, said her mother remains an equally important influence.
“My mom is so inspiring to me,” D’Silva said. “Even though she’s not physically here, her role in my life goes on more than just her time here.”
At Saxbys, D’Silva said she is gaining experience in leadership, networking, outreach and promotion.
“It’s been a lot of learning, but it has really helped me grow and become better in my major as well,” she said.
Learning beyond the classroom
Saxbys Founder and CEO Nick Bayer said that kind of growth is the purpose behind the company’s student-run model.
“Saxbys is really an education company disguised as a coffee company,” Bayer said. “We built this business to create the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.”
Massry Dean Paquita Davis-Friday said the cafe carries forward Morris Massry’s legacy as a successful real estate developer and longtime supporter of UAlbany students.
“It’s particularly fitting that in a space that was initially named in his honor, we will have a laboratory where students will be able to learn leadership, decision-making and real-world business challenges,” Davis-Friday said.
Those opportunities were part of what drew Rhynie to UAlbany. Along with leading Saxbys, he is president of the UAlbany Consulting Group and a resident assistant. After graduation, he hopes to pursue wealth management, combining his interest in finance with a desire to help people build wealth and achieve their goals.
“UAlbany is what you make of it,” Rhynie said. “There are so many opportunities, so many places for you to gain skills, make connections, you just have to go out and seek it.”
Preparing students for what’s next
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol H. Kim said the cafe gives students a place to develop skills employers consistently seek, including critical thinking, leadership and adaptability.
"Saxbys gives students a chance to build those capacities in a setting where the stakes are real, the feedback is immediate and the learning is visible every day,” Kim said.
The cafe also provides a new way for UAS and its partners to help advance UAlbany's academic mission, said Executive Director Michael Ramella.
“It transforms our dining facilities into active learning environments that prepare our Great Danes to lead in the global economy,” Ramella said.
D’Silva is still early in her own UAlbany experience but is already looking forward to growing with Saxbys and could see herself eventually serving as a student CEO. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in marketing.
“My biggest piece of advice is don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Just be patient with yourself,” said D’Silva. “You can handle anything with a good mindset.”