TRANSCRIPT:
Maddie Ritter:
In Syracuse’s Crouse College, you normally expect to see and hear students playing music, or getting ready to go on stage. But today, you might have noticed something a little different- and perhaps, tasty.
Riley Cahily:
I just recently got done with the music convo upstairs, in the auditorium, so then I was just walking down and I saw the table!
Maddie Ritter:
Addi Woodruff, sophomore music education student, had an in person sale for her baking business today. The featured item? Rice krispie treats.
Addi Woodruff:
I’ve always kinda wanted to do something like this, and it’s so much easier to do it because I live in a pretty rural area. So it’s so much easier to do when there’s so many people around, and not just like, your next door neighbor.
Maddie Ritter:
College can get expensive. That’s why- it’s important for some students to have a side hustle. And for Addi, that comes in the form of a sweet treat.
Addi Woodruff:
It’s just kind of a side hustle. I really enjoy baking and groceries are super expensive! So it’s nice to be able to do something I love while still not making it a financial burden.
Maddie Ritter:
And Addi is correct. The average individual college student spends between 400 and 600 dollars on groceries per month. The average in New York State is about 380 dollars. College students overall spend about 78 billion dollars on groceries each year, which has seen a 9.6% increase in the last year.
Maddie Ritter:
And while Rice Krispies had the money flowing today, they aren’t the only thing Addi enjoys baking.
Addi Woodruff:
Ah shoot. I love to bake like cakes, I love to make cupcakes-so that’s probably the most fun because there’s a lot of like, decorating aspects that you get to have with it.
Maddie Ritter:
For NCC News and the sweet treat lovers of Central New York, I’m Maddie Ritter.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS)– Grocery prices are becoming increasinly difficult for college students to maintain. Many are looking for ways to bring in some extra income. For Addi Woodruff, it’s about sharing her love for baking, and sharing it with others.
Woodruff makes baked goods, and has both in-person and online sales. Thursday’s sale saw a plethora of rice krispy treats, flavored with different cereals. Flavors included Cocoa Crisp, Fruity Pebbles, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Sales were abundant, as students flooded out of their classes in Crouse College and found Woodruff’s table.
Student Riley Cahily said he had just left a music ceremony and was on his way to his saxophone lesson when he saw the table and purchased a Fruity Pebble flavored treat.
“I just recently got done with the music convo upstairs, in the auditorium, so then I was just walking down and I saw the table!” Cahily said, eagerly biting into his treat.
While Woodruff enjoys sharing her love for baking with others, she also uses the income as support for everyday life. She told NCC News that it’s nice to have the extra money for groceries.
“It’s nice to be able to do something I love while still not making it a financial burden”, said Woodruff.
While today might have been an in-person sale for her business, Woodruff also sells orders online. She uses a Google Form posted on her business’ Instagram account to collect orders. This Instagram account is where she advertises her sales as well- she also posted a number of flyers to the Syracuse 2028 Snapchat page, in order to draw in even more customers.
Woodruff is a sophomore music education major, and still lives on campus. However, her Slocum Heights Apartment on South Campus has its own kitchen. This serves as the main headquarter for producing her baked goods.
“I do have a kitchen, yes. I live on South Campus and my apartment has its own kitchen”.
Woodruff has not announced yet when her next in-person sale will be, but her online ordering form is always open.