Saxbys Coffee, The Beer Market and Constantino’s Market opened their doors to College Town on April 6, 7 and 9, respectively, giving students easy access to a cafe, gastropub and full-service grocery store.
Mayor Lovely Warren, NY State Senator Joseph Robach, Saxbys’ founder and CEO Nick Bayer, U.S. House of Representatives Economic Development Specialist John Kreckel and UR President Joel Seligman were among those attending Saxbys’ grand opening on Monday. Warren, Robach and Bayer celebrated the cafe’s opening by pulling its first official espresso shots together.
Bayer emphasized Saxbys’ focus on community.
“We go all out to invite the community to celebrate with us,” Bayer said in a phone interview. “Our cafe is the community cafe. We leave it open to what people want there, but live music, opportunities for students to be able to show their creative sides and use it for performances —not only are we open to that, but we really strongly encourage that.”
As for the offerings on Saxbys’ menu, Bayer noted that “most coffee shops are focused on beverages” so that food becomes a “very ancillary or secondary item” which is generally pre-made and then heated up. Saxbys, he said, makes over 250 different combinations of specialty lattes and also differentiates itself with a made-to-order breakfast and lunch program, frozen yogurt and smoothies made with fresh fruit.
He encouraged customers to use Saxbys’ mobile app, which has a loyalty program rewarding users with $2 of credit for every $20 they spend.
The Beer Market, however, had a quieter opening on Tuesday, National Beer Day, and is planning to have a “Nashville Nights” grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 18 with performances by actor Steve Burton and actors and singers Scott Reeves and Emily Reeves.
General manager Elliott Stern described The Beer Market as “a gastropub and sports bar” offering a safe and fun environment with music.
At The Beer Market, he explained, “We have 480 beers from all over the world,” with “beers from some of the oldest breweries in the world, some of them dating back to 1040 A.D.” The Beer Market also carries beers with more local origins, such as the Genesee Brewing Company, Roc Brewing Co. and Empire Brewing Company.
He added, “We have a great draft line-up; we have over 50 beers on tap, and the nice thing about us is you can taste and sample it.”
Constantino’s Market, which was the latest of the three businesses to open and the largest at 21,000 square feet, held a VIP preview on Monday. The market had a soft opening this Thursday and will have a grand opening event next Thursday, April 16, with prize giveaways, free samples and demonstrations.
Constantino’s is a full-service grocery store and also sells products from local vendors including Flower City Pasta, The Karma Sauce Company and Dinosaur BBQ, as well as local cheeses, coffee and more.
As “the neighborhood grocery store,” Constantino’s COO Andrew Revy said, “we strive to be the urban fresh market that offers a bunch of quality brands and essentials and chef-prepared foods, and they’re hand-picked for the community that we serve.” With a cafe seating area, “we can also serve as a place for people to hang out, to enjoy quality food and quality company.”
All three businesses offer free Wi-Fi. Constantino’s accepts URos, but Saxbys and The Beer Market currently do not.
Lai is a member of
the class of 2017.
