Saxbys in Rittenhouse: A new, free, kind of Internet cafe

In Rittenhouse, a young, corporate world expat is hoping that his experience with technology will help boost sales at his new franchise coffee shop.
Andrew Kupiec, who opened a Saxbys located at 20th and Walnut with several business partners in April, says it was the real estate potential of the location that really caught his eye when he first noticed the vacant property while he was the regional General Manager of wireless Internet provider Clearwire. In November 2009, we interviewed Kupiec in his role at Clearwire.
“I thought it could be a Clearwire retail store,” he told Technically Philly on an early morning last week, as customers filled the spacious shop.
But new leadership at the investment-backed WiMAX Internet provider brought with it a new vision which changed things for Kupiec. He left the company, and using his contacts in the real estate and investment worlds, he pitched the idea that the block could use a high-end coffeeshop. They looked to Saxbys as a Philly-known brand, and have added a custom food menu and catering opportunities to set it apart.
But the shop isn’t just high-end, it’s also high-tech. The model that Kupiec is most excited about is that the coffee shop’s tech amenities come at no cost.

In the center of the store, seven tables feature tethered iPads that customers can use for free. Employees, trained on the devices, help patrons that need assistance logging in, or signing up for their first email address.
A free computer center near the entrance of the shop features four computers. There’s no cost to use the printer connected to those computers, either. “It’s great for someone who’s late to class that needs to print a paper, or someone that needs to print airline tickets before heading to the airport,” Kupiec says.
Just inside the door, there’s a charging station for customers that need a quick-charge for their mobile devices. WiFi comes at not cost and with no time limits for customers.
All of it makes for a smart strategy that could attract discerning customers that are turned-off by shops that charge more for the tech amenities they’ve come to expect.
Kupiec says that he and his partners are now looking to possibly open three more locations, which will utilize the same technology advantages.