What the hell is Saxby’s?
I used to have great lighting. Great space. Big comfy chairs. Luxurious couches. Good coffee.
Now, I’m sitting here holding an ugly, maroon, paper cup. It jeers at me with its mediocre contents. My ears are bleeding from the elevator music dribbling out of the speakers overhead. I hum to myself for comfort, borrowing Paula Cole and inserting where have all the good songs goooooonnnnneeee?
Saxby’s sucks.
Their website is obnoxiously snazzy. They’ve gone so far as to draw a map of the United States, label Saxby’s locations, and call it “The Saxby’s Nation.” And every time you click on something, an awful tune blasts through your computer- I think it’s the same one they’ve got playing in their stores. That’s their tactic for maintaining customer flow. Drive us out with the ghastly sounds of the home-shopping network to make room for more customers.
Saxby’s is so bad, in fact, that they know it. And in acknowledgment of their suckiness they have posted a sign over their counter comparing their beans to the old ones, saying, “Same great taste as Bucks!” Newsflash: only crappy, less delicious brands pull that kind of crap advertising.
In the old Bucks, the one that hadn’t yet been taken over by the fancier, snobbier Saxbys franchise, the coffee cups were a calming, dusty blue. People smiled and waved at one another, like it was some sort of alternate universe, Mr. Rogers neighborhood, community gathering place. It felt like my living room.
I half expected to see one of the employees stoking a fire when I came in. Another would be propping my feet up and fluffing my pillows. And the music was always obscenely good. Like, surprisingly fabulous. I’d park for a few hours of schoolwork and get a mix of Bon Jovi, George Michael, Queen, Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Eagles, Killers… you get the point. Bucks brewed it right.
The perfect coffee shop is hard to come by. And for college students, who’re always looking for a comfortable workspace with quality caffeine at the ready, Bucks was the golden ticket.
So friends, we’ve got to boycott. Penn students aren’t quick to protest. But I think everyone can agree on this cause. It’s time to sleep late and spend the rest of the day in the picket line. Bucks or Bust.
An RSS feed of The Spin is available
November 19th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
If that was not enough to boycott here are more reasons!
http://www.scamfraudalert.com/f90/saxbys-coffee-worldwide-saxbys-coffee-proven-record-john-larson-nick-bayer-11959/
http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2007/10/17/franchised_coffee_shop_seized/
Saxbys latest move is too not pay its attorneys or ignore discovery in cases in Colorado and illinois. They do this to delay the truth…get the judge to hopefully give them time to find new attorneys..they had money to buy bucks coffee though huh?
Nick Bayer actually sold the territorys in MD and VA to innocent buyers when people had already owned the territory!!! the AG office in maryland had to get involved before Nick paid the original territory owner back… Saxbys has been banned from selling franchises in VA for over a year..
Saxbys has just recently had another landlord file against them in Ontario, CA for break of lease..
They are also trying to scam their way out of a lease in Virginia based on the fact they are not registered to do business there as a deleware company.. the problem is they have known this registration issue for over a year!
Search the web google saxbys scam or saxbys lawsuits and you will find the truth.. rag sheets like the philly business journal will try to spin a positive light but the FBI and a reputable newspaper are investigating saxbys currently!
It is important to point out the local owners of saxbys are good people who dont even realize they mess they bought into. Boycott all the corporate stores!
November 20th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Well, as you know, I prefer my coffee yellow. Kind of like the cup of apple juice I tried to get you to drink once……
November 20th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Let me tell you a short story about a coffee shop where i live that was warm and friendly, had comfy chairs, great ambience, excellent service, a fireplace, and a musician on tuesday nights. it had all the right moves. and you know what happened to that little quaint coffee shop. IT CLOSED. IT F-ing CLOSED. and it sucked. so i asked the owner what happened. i got a simple, but very obvious answer. basically, people would show up at 6 p.m., buy nothing, set up their laptops, conduct meetings and power point presentations with a group of people who had also purchased nothing, mooch off the free wifi the coffee shop provided, do their homework and leave. so, bascially, the coffee shop made absolutely no money.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Well, I had a favorite coffee shop too. And you know what happened to it? Nothing. It’s still there and functions as a coffee shop. Probably doing even better today than it was before. So yeah, I agree!
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Wait…they played where have all the cowboys gone? I know a couple a dudes that jam out to that but yes Maalkeh (Can I just call you Molly? its easier for me to pronounce..thanks) I agree with your position and my answer to you is - drop your habit. Thats right! Lets really give them something to talk about, I mean how about love love love…sorry I got distracted (I’m in Saxby’s now and they are playing…nevermind) What I was saying is that you should gather your compatriots and for that matter the whole Penn student body and convince everyone that to boycott successfully you must stop drinking coffee! Lets really show those Saxby-Suckholes that unless they change their attitude that we are going to turn this campus into a giant mass of zombie pukers on withdrawal. Its time we take charge of those trying to serve the public a cup-o-crap. I say that everytime some one is feeling like they need to hurl from going cold turkey that he/she spews on the side of the Saxby building. Brilliant! Lets rally the troops in Jefferson’s quad next to the science building by the old medical library and start our revolution at 11:17 AM (its my lucky birth time) what do you say? Are you with me Molkeh?
July 25th, 2009 at 1:31 am
I am John Larson, Founder of Saxbys Coffee. Many posts have appeared after this article was written and I wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight.
I started Saxbys Coffee in Windsor, Colorado in January 2004. The concept was simple; a coffee shop which would eventually rival Starbucks Coffee. At the time there were no other coffee shops which were expanding aggressively and as a result Starbucks began raising prices on their products often and offered less service (they actually stopped stirring the drinks). Saxbys Coffee was designed to give superior customer service at a price which was lower than Starbucks. I used my over $400,000 of my own money to grow this company (which I would never get back).
In order to challenge Starbucks we would have to franchise the business and grow through Area Developers (mini-franchisors of Saxbys Coffee). This was not in any way a get rich quick scheme as one post states on this page and was a legitimate business set up to catch up to Starbucks in half the time it took Starbucks. For the most part the first two and a half years were successful for everyone.
Due to personal family issues I stepped down as an Officer and Director of Saxbys Coffee in September 2006 and Nick Bayer was voted in as Sole Director and Sole Officer which effectively gave Nick Bayer total control over Saxbys Coffee. Nick Bayer went on a rampage and set out to cancel many Area Developer contracts and close down many franchises that Nick Bayer felt remained loyal to me.
Nick Bayer then, as Sole Director and Sole Officer of Saxbys Coffee, fraudulently sold all the assets of Saxbys Coffee (which totaled over $6,000,000) for a mere $5,000 down and $300,000 to be paid in three years to Saxbys Coffee Worldwide LLC which is a corporation formed by Joe Grasso just days before the fraudulent sale. Joe Grasso “rewarded” Nick for his part in this “sweet deal” by giving Nick a job as President of the “new” Saxbys Coffee along with bonuses and jobs for Nick Bayer’s father, mother and best friends. They were all given back pay as an added incentive.
One of the first actions the new Saxbys Coffee did was to stop paying rents and employees at all Chicago locations in an apparent effort to embarrass me (I lived in Chicago and the new Saxbys Coffee was in Philadelphia). As a result all the landlords evicted Saxbys Coffee in the Chicago locations.
Nick then continued his “witch-hunt” for all the other Area Developers and franchisees he wanted closed and Nick succeeded in ruining many lives through financial devastation (including mine).
Please take the time to read everything that happened with Saxbys Coffee and you will find that everything “bad” happened AFTER I stepped down in September 2006. Also please take note that I have filed two lawsuits against Nick Bayer, Joe Grasso, and Saxbys Coffee Worldwide, LLC for the fraudulent sale. One case is in the Chicago Circuit Court in Illinois (filed in July 2007) and the other is in Philadelphia and was filed this year. I will provide court case numbers and witnesses to anyone who asks.
This ordeal has financially devastated me, my family, my friends, and several hard working and honest Area Developers and franchisees that put their trust in Saxbys Coffee. Stepping down and giving Nick Bayer control was my mistake and one which I will regret for the rest of my life.
The court cases will go on (justice is slow) but we (the shareholders of Saxbys Coffee, Inc.) will be victorious. As a side note, ne of the reasons the court in Chicago is taking so long is because Nick Bayer, Joe Grasso, and Saxbys Coffee Worldwide, LLC, refuse to pay their attorneys. As a result the attorneys fire Nick Bayer, Joe Grasso, and Saxbys Coffee Worldwide, LLC. As their clients and the judicial system allows several months for new lawyers to be acquired and get caught up to speed o the case. This has happened on three occasions already.
People like Nick Bayer and Joe Grasso should be sitting in jail with the other fraudulent executives who cheat honest people.
I am including my email address and cell phone number for anyone who wants or needs additional information. I am doing this because I have nothing to hide, I am not afraid of any slander lawsuits as I only tell the truth, and I have documents to back up everything I say. My cell number is 312-515-9272 and my email address is johnlarson@jetgroup7.com. Feel free to contact me regarding anything in this case.
To the bloggers who post things when they don’t know the facts, I have one simple question. Why don’t you use your real first and last name when you recklessly slander someone with no regard for the tole it takes on their life? You don’t because you’re afraid of a slander lawsuit because what you say is not the truth. My hope is that the readers of this article take that into consideration when reading the mean spirited posts following this article.
Sincerely,
John Larson
September 10th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
John Larson, Shame on you. You are the one that should be sitting in jail. You are no good. You lie, you cheat and are not an honorable person. I laugh when I hear you say ” poor me”. How about me John? You and your family stole from me. You are a pathetic human; or do I dare call you human? I would love to see the FBI investigate you and your family. The Larsons are nothing but trash in my book. You deserve everything that you got and everything that is coming to you. How dare you point fingers at others when you are nothing but trash, you trash. You created your own destiny….enjoy it you scumbag!!!!!
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 am
Scammed,
You must be a friend of Nick’s. As I stated in my open letter, I have nothing to hide. I am not the one hiding behind a made up name. If my family stole from you then by all means let the world know right here on this site and tell everyone how and who it is we stole from. Be an honorable man and show yourself. You won’t because you know this is a scam that you are writing something about me when you don’t even know me. Fact is we have never stole from anyone. This is a baseless accusation by someone who knows Nick and nothing more. You are the scum and like a slimy snake you are hiding under a rock.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Sounds like this guy knows him. I also heard some other things about this whole fiasco. It sounds to me like a lot of people got hurt by these guys.