Unveiling its grand opening last semester on Apr. 11, the student-run Rich ‘N’ Pour café has once again begun operations for the academic year. Housed alongside the School of Business in Rich Hall, the café ran its official first day back on Monday, Sept. 25 with great success, the blueberry lavender lemonade proving to be just as popular as it was during the spring 2023 period.

Currently, Rich ‘N’ Pour is staffed by a team of approximately 21 students, governed by an executive board of nine and overseen by two professors. Gabriella Giacalone-DePierro, a SUNY Oswego student majoring in marketing and minoring in sales, is one of the café’s prominent E-board members. 

“My job on the board is sales. I am in charge of ordering products, coming up with new drinks and new ideas,” said Giacalone-DePierro. 

One important aspect is the autonomy the student executive board has over the café. Whereas other businesses on campus, such as Lake Effect Café, ultimately belong to the international Starbucks corporation, Rich ‘N’ Pour was initiated, is operated by and will be expanded upon by students of the university. Giacalone-DePierro stands as a shining example of this particular business function. 

The start-up of Rich ‘N’ Pour was initially spearheaded by students enrolled in MGT 444, known officially as entrepreneurship leadership, a course offered within the Management department that focuses on high-level coordination of businesses.

“This café is part of MGT 444; we have two amazing professors who help us with advice,” said Giacalone-DePierro. “They don’t really do much with the cafe itself; they’re more there for guidance when we need them.”  Irene Scruton, director of MBA programs and assistant dean and Graig Arcuri, visiting assistant professor in finance, are the two professors who currently instruct students in MGT 444. 

Both Scruton and Arcuri provide oversight and direction to the students while simultaneously incorporating a laissez-faire approach to business operations themselves. Experts in their respective fields, both professors step in when inquiries and concerns beyond the scope of the student staff emerge. Giacalone-DePierro reiterated this by saying, “We don’t have that kind of experience. This is our first experience in this area, so we go to them… when we have deeper business questions, as they have more…  knowledge.”

“Our goal is to overall make a profit. To make at least one dollar, which is a lot harder than it seems, because there is so much money that has been put into this [café], even little things like the painting and the logo, so our goal is to make a profit and have a fun time doing it,” said Giacalone-DePierro. 

While Rich ‘N’ Pour still holds onto the hunter-green wall decals and a familiar petite lounge of last semester, its recent launch has seen an unprecedented situation; the café now has a ten-week schedule of potential operations, a far cry from the five weeks it was given upon its inauguration. 

With double the time frame, the potential for further business expansion is ripe. 

Though the opening of Rich ‘N’ Pour last semester was met with ubiquitous support, its brief period of operation during the last leg of the academic year significantly limited its ability to establish itself properly. 

The new schedule for Rich ‘N’ Pour, however, allows the executive board sufficient time to continue the development of the business entirely. “We’re hoping to do more marketing campaigns, maybe try catering and different pop-up shops and different ideas along those lines,” Giacalone-DePierro said. Given the progress made last semester by previous staff, the café has a hopeful future in reaching its set goals. 

The Rich ‘N’ Pour café is located on the second floor of Rich Hall, located behind Park Hall, and is open five days a week, closed on weekends. The café is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.

Photo by Nicolas Diaz Contreras