Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School students have been working with Sawyer alumni Jamie Manning and Adriano Varassin with their new start up. The two started SnagaStool, an app that lets customers reserve seats at the bar and pitched the idea on the show Shark Tank. Students at Sawyer are now working with the two to help find new ways to add value to the business.
Students work in two different groups. One team is working to improve SnagaStool’s marketing strategy and looking for ways to increase visibility and consumer engagement on social media. The other team is working on the company’s business development plan. The students have done field research to gain insight about the company’s target market and have created a blog and new social media accounts for the company.
The app works by allowing customers to reserve seats at the bar for events. Bar owners set aside a number of stools, specifically for the snagastool and the customers can reserve a spot. Customers pay to reserve the seat during events but can use the app and reserve seats for free during off-peak hours. Bar owners can use the app to increase traffic to the bar by offering specials to people who use the app to reserve a seat at the bar.
Suffolk entrepreneurship students are also working to create new unique SnagaStool-sponsored events. These events include an arcade night, spelling bees, golf putting contests and concerts. SnagaStool will host its first spelling bee at the 21st Amendment on April 19. For the spelling B event, participants will face unique challenges like spelling words backwards and they’ll be allowed to collaborate on teams. The students will formally pitch their ideas to Manning and Varassin at the end of the semester.