Top American Coffee Chain Opens First NY Location in Poughkeepsie

One of the country's top coffee chains that also sells decadent grilled cheese has opened its first New York location in Poughkeepsie.

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Empire State's first Saxbys coffee shop took place on Tuesday morning and was immediately followed by a long line of coffee lovers waiting to have their first taste of the brew that beat out Starbucks and Dunkin' on USA Today's list of the best coffee chains in America.

Saxbys Comes to the Hudson Valley

Saxbys has become popular with customers in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana and Georgia due to its fresh pastries, delicious lattes and unique sandwiches like the pickle grilled cheese (oh yeah, that's a real thing).

But what really has people talking about this innovative coffee company isn't the food or coffee but the way it operates.

Saxbys is completely managed and run by student leaders participating in the company's innovative university cooperative education platform. In a first for New York, Saxbys has partnered with Marist College to open a restaurant that will also serve as a classroom of sorts for over 40 students.

Marist senior, Mabel Aronson, was named the student CEO five months ago. Since then, she has been busy hiring staff and readying the cafe for its debut. Aronson was given the honor of cutting the ribbon at Tuesday's grand opening.

Saxbys is the Newest Addition to Marist's Remodeled Dyson Center

New York's first Saxbys is located on the ground floor of Marist's newly remodeled Dyson Center. The $60 million transformation includes a massive video wall, a state-of-the-art investment center and a breathtaking four-story atrium that includes Saxbys.

Visiting Saxbys at Marist College

Saxbys is open to both students and the public. Visitors can simply drop by and check out the cafe but if you're in a rush employees suggest downloading the Grubhub app and linking to the Marist network. While coffee and pastries are available as grab-and-go, made-to-order items like their grilled cheese may take significantly longer due to student demand and should be ordered ahead.