This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Duke chapter.
My entire life I have been exposed to only one coffee provider, one that I could turn to in a time
of need, one that was visibly and conveniently located on every corner in my hometown.
Growing up, I would fuel my endless days with Starbucks coffee, searching anxiously for any
reason to make that third Starbucks trip for the day, and simply persuading my friends that a
Starbucks date was the best way to pass the time. I, along with many others, was more that
devastated to find that Duke did not have a Starbucks on campus. My lifelong Starbucks
cushion was gone and I was desperate to find another one.
Upon arriving to Duke, the invisible divide between coffee lovers was made apparent. When my
friend from Boston had to drag me to Dunkin Donuts, I learned rather quickly that a
Northeasterner’s obsession with Dunkin Donuts is unbreakable. That was when I realized that I
could no longer whip out my handy dandy Starbucks app or flash my gold card in the air like I
just don’t care! She pushed me and pushed me, enthusiastically saying, “Just let me turn your
attention to Dunkin Donuts!” as if I would even fathom an alternative method of acquiring my
caffeine fix. Well I’m here to tell you that it wasn’t all that bad (gasp!).
Now I know some of you die-hard Starbucks lovers may be thinking Is this girl really that naïve?
Luckily, there are many perks to takin’ a dunk at Dunkin:
-Dunkin Donuts is a short, doable, 15-minute walk from West Campus. It’s located in the same
strip mall as Chipotle (which I’m sure you’re all familiar with).
-It is affordable (a Grande Nonfat Latte coming in at $3.19 versus Starbucks’ $3.65).
-Add in an extra shot of flavor
-You can choose from sweetened flavors like Mocha & Caramel Swirl, or several
unsweetened flavors including Blueberry, Caramel, Cinnamon, Coconut, French Vanilla,
Hazelnut, Raspberry and Toasted Almond.
-Opens at a very very early 4:30 AM for all you early birds.
-Also serving comfort food and offering a more than welcoming environment, Dunkin is perfect
for studying on your own or with a huge group of friends.
So next time you need a morning or an afternoon pick-me-up, or simply feel adventurous and
want to veer off campus for a few hours, check out Dunkin Donuts!