Learning at Saxbys
To help fuel the entrepreneurial spirit, Saxbys and Drexel University partnered to create an experiential learning program in Philadelphia. This program brings in students to work with us for a semester either by running our cafes or working directly with us at our Philly HQ for what’s called a co-op (think of it as a six-month internship with a lot of responsibility).
One of our latest students to come through was Hana Itokazu, a senior Drexel student studying food science. Hana spent several months at our 2300 Chestnut office working directly with our Product Development Manager, Lori Kuserk, before leaving last week. She sat down to discuss what she learned and what it was like to develop our recently-launched Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew (despite not even liking coffee).
When did you first learn we’d be making a Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew?
We started developing it in July of this year. It was a fast production cycle.
What was the process like?
Lori wanted to work with the original All Natural Pumpkin Spice Latte sauce, so we had a jumping off point. It was a bit too thick to use for the cold brew, so we had a find a way to condense it down before using it. That took some research. It’s a similar recipe, just tweaked for cold brew.
What was the biggest challenge for you in the development?
It was a time consuming process to develop so we had to find a way to make it as efficient as possible.
What were you hoping to achieve from this co-op?
Being a product development co-op, I was hoping to see how things get on the menu.
Do you think you got a good understanding of that?
I did, it was a lot more laid back and creative than I expected it to be. I come from a food science background, so this was more of a culinary experience because I was playing around with different flavors and ingredients. Mixing and matching.
What are your plans moving forward?
I definitely want to do something with product development. It’s more fun than being in a lab. It’s fun developing drinks and coming up with different ideas.
There’s so much to food science so I really want to get exposure to all the different aspects of the food industry. This co-op has really helped me do that.
What has your favorite part?
Being able to really learn about coffee and make drinks that I wouldn’t have ever tasted.
But still not a fan?
Not a fan, but I definitely know more about coffee than I ever have before.
