Georgetown coffee lovers will have a new way to feed the habit this week when the franchise shop Saxby’s Coffee opens a new location at 35th and O Streets.
Saxby’s is opening its doors at the former location of Sugar’s Campus Store, which closed in May after 85 years of operation under different proprietors after the owner of the building, Nabeel Audeh, declined to renew the lease.
Audeh, who also owns Wisemiller’s Deli, said he was confident Saxby’s will be a positive addition to the neighborhood, citing the energy of the staff and the renovations that have been made to the property.
Audeh said that he thinks students will gravitate to the new store, even though many strongly opposed his decision not to renew the lease on Sugar’s, which was very popular among a contingent of students.
“It’s like a total transformation,” he said. “A lot of the neighbors were vocal and opposed to any change, and this shows that some change can be positive.”
Elizabeth Egle, the manager of Saxby’s, said that while she is trying to give the store a “neighborhood feel,” the store would not try to replace the strong standing Sugar’s had in the community.
“Lots of people thought we were this big company who bought out Sugar’s, but that’s not true,” she said. “We heard that this location was available and jumped at the opportunity,” Egle said.
Egle said Saxby’s will be open for business either Wednesday or Thursday of this week, pending health inspections. On Sunday, Saxby’s held an open house to give the new employees some experience and to let prospective customers sample free drinks.
Saxby’s is hoping to attract customers from the university by providing a space where students can study. The shop offers free wireless Internet access and a living room with a television.
In addition to coffee, Saxby’s will serve salads, sandwiches and pastries so that customers can come in for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Egle said the primary focus, however, is on the quality of the coffee and the variety of drinks available.
“If someone comes in and doesn’t know what to order, I’ll ask them what their favorite candy bar is and create a special drink for them based on that,” she said.
Most of the employees at Saxby’s are Georgetown students, who have been training for the opening.
Brian Wang (MSB ’07), an employee at Saxby’s, said that he already loved the atmosphere and the fact that the store was run by young people. He said that the quality of the products at Saxby’s was better than its predecessor.
Regina Moore (COL ’08), another Saxby’s employee, said she was enthusiastic about the new store. She said that while she liked Sugar’s, she could see students spending more time hanging out at Saxby’s.
She added that she thought Saxby’s would be a good alternative to Starbucks because it was closer to campus than the Starbucks on M Street.
There have been significant changes made to the building since Sugar’s closed down last spring.
Among the changes made to the building in the months since Sugar’s closed is the removal of drywall to expose the brick underneath, which Egle said fits the look of the neighborhood. Two bathrooms were installed as well.
Saxby’s Coffee first opened in Denver five years ago and began opening franchises in other locations two years ago. According to Egle, there are currently 11 Saxby’s throughout the United States, and the new Georgetown location will be the 12th.
