New student-led café opens at SUNY Oswego

OSWEGO, N.Y. — A new student-led, student-run café called the Rich N’ Pour Cafe has opened in Rich Hall at SUNY Oswego.

The café — the product of a SUNY Oswego business class — held a formal-opening celebration on Tuesday, the university said in its announcement.

It replaces the Wall Street Cafe, which closed in 2022, in the Rich Hall atrium lobby.

The space represents a “boost to student entrepreneurship experiences, a service for those in Rich Hall and beyond, and a campus-community partnership,” SUNY Oswego said. Students in the Management 444 class represent a board of directors that has made decisions on both the “big and little touches” in the space.

The Rich N’ Pour Cafe is staffed by more than 20 student baristas serving up Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters-infused beverages and baked goods, the school said. The students in the class interviewed and hired the baristas; selected the menu; and proposed the décor to “provide a relaxing ambience that can also serve as a welcoming meeting space.”

Irene Scruton — the assistant dean of the School of Business and director of MBA programs — teaches the course, while Ed Alberts, SUNY Oswego graduate and community entrepreneur, serves as a senior advisor.

Scruton thanked SUNY Oswego’s Auxiliary Services, led by Stephen McAfee, for “being such willing partners in helping develop plans,” the school said.

The café’s hours are currently 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 8:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.