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Like most freshmen, with no car and little desire to spend money, Madi Tsuchida and Audrey Meierhoefer find it challenging to try local Syracuse restaurants. Eating a banana pudding from Worth the Kavity or a donut from Honeycomb Bakery was the first time Tsuchida and Meierhoefer had tried off-campus food since arriving on-campus last month.

“This little sweet treat gave me a taste for Syracuse businesses, and the fresh ingredients that go into foods here,” Meierhoefer said. “It was just a nice exposure and I didn’t have to pay a dime or swipe.”

On Wednesday, Syracuse University hosted a Dessert Crawl with sweet treats made by local bakeries, organized by Student Events and Activities Coordinator Lily Wegerski. The event is part of Let’s Be Engaged, a new programming series at SU that aims to give students a sense of community amid the school day. Students taste-tested desserts from Worth the Kavity, The Mixing Bowl, The Sweet Praxis and Honeycomb Bakery.

Kaehla Gardner, co-owner of The Mixing Bowl, hopes her participation in events like the Dessert Crawl will give her business exposure. With a storefront in Camillus, Gardner hopes her customer base will expand to students who tried her desserts.

“This was a good way to get our name out to some of the younger people and show that we are a cool, hip place with good, natural food,” Gardner said.

Kayla Johnson, owner of Worth the Kavity, which she operates from her home in Syracuse was excited to showcase her desserts at the Crawl. Though she doesn’t have a storefront, Johnson hopes to expand her business into a food truck, and participating in events like this will help her reach that goal, she said.

Students who tried the desserts, like Johnson’s white-chocolate-covered strawberries, used the desserts to take a break from studying.

“I love exposing students to good food during their stressful school days and good food and bringing some joy,” Johnson said.

For Tsuchida and her friends, the Crawl was something to look forward to after back-to-back classes. She said she appreciated SU’s interest in nurturing their student body.

“They want us to engage in the Syracuse community, while also coming together as a student body,” Tsuchida said. “They actually want to invest in the livelihood of the student community.”

Wegerski said she was amazed by the success and student support of this first crawl. The event, meant to last two hours, lasted just 30 minutes once all of the confections had been taken. Two-hundred thirteen students participated in the event, Wegerski said.

Born and raised in Syracuse, Wegerski was eager to ensure that students were exposed to various shops. While she hadn’t yet sampled some of the vendors at the crawl, others, like Honeycomb Bakery, have been a staple in her life since childhood, she said.

Nonetheless, Wegerski hopes students can acquire as much of a passion for the desserts offered in Syracuse as she has.

“I want them to leave with more friends, and the knowledge of good bakeries in the area,” Wegerski said.

Published on September 18, 2024 at 10:49 pm

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