Coffee undoubtedly is one of the most popular beverages consumed on college campuses. We love it for it’s ability to wake us up, keep us from falling asleep and because most of us are completely and totally addicted to its caffeine content. I know I personally can’t be expected to function without my morning cup of Joe and making it past 2:30 without a nap is going to require another! With so much to do during the day, most of us are extremely dependent on a little daily pick-me-up from our favorite coffee shop! And so the great debate begins, which one is our favorite and what is it that keeps us going back for more?
If your follow me on twitter or we are friends on facebook, you might have noticed me obnoxiously updating asking anyone and everyone to comment/ tweet about what kept them going back to their favorite shop. Here’s what some of you said:
Pro-Starbucks:
“I like Starbucks because of peppermint mocha’s in red cups!”- Jill Granucci
“Frappuccino > Coffee Coolatta” – Amanda Oles
“Starbucks is the best. I am willing to pay a little more for better quality and service.” -Andrew Minigan
“I go to Starbucks because Dunks has shitty coffee and not many options.” -Ronnie Filius
“When it comes to specialty drinks, Starbucks blows Dunks out of the water! Not to mention Starbucks has a way better presentation and atmosphere.” -Gabby Chesney
Pro-Dunks:
“Dunks is more common in this area so i’m more comfortable with it. I also think it’s cheaper, but I could be wrong…” -Kyla Jones
“Dunkins is better because it’s less expensive!” -Pat Sloyan
“I’m a big fan of Dunkins hot chocolate.” -Mike Hurley
“Dunks is quick, convenient and cheap. I just want a coffee that does the job.” -Mat Myers
“I go to Dunks because it’s closer.”- Tucker Cutter
“Sadly, Dunks. Wish I could handle all the caffeine in Starbucks, but I can’t. Yet.” -Chad Graff
“Dunks doesn’t taste so bitter and it’s SO cheap!” -Chelsea Borkovitz
“Dunkins is way cheaper and just tastes better in general.” – Tucker Munro
“Dunkins is faster, easier and has better flavors.” -Kristyn Kasle
“I go to Dunkin Donuts because I’m always on a budget and they make it the way I like it.” -Katie McMahon
“Dunks has cheaper prices for a college budget.” -Bryan Hanlon
“Dunkins tastes better and they put enough cream and sugar in for me.” -Cody Cawthron
“I like Dunkins better because Starbucks is for people who are stuckup.” -Adam Thompson
“I don’t drink coffee but I always go to Dunks for donuts and a coolatta.” -Zac Countie
“Dunks because on a college budget I can’t afford Starbucks pricey items.”- Gabby Lewis
Undecided:
“My taste buds like Starbucks but my wallet likes Dunkins.” – Sarah McCann
“I enjoy a nice Dunkachino from Dunkins or a peppermind mocha latte from Starbucks.” – Sara Mancuso
“I’ve never tried Starbucks so Dunkins.” Sanni Reale
“Dunkins is cheaper an better for everyday coffee but Starbucks is like a treat or dessert even though it’s overpriced.” -Jill Frank
“Iced coffee, definitely Dunkin Donuts, but when I want my soy latte, it’s Starbucks for this guy!”- Adam Maciejewski
“I go to Dunks for iced coffee and Starbucks in the winter because I love their hot peppermint coffee. Starbucks has better specialty coffee.” -Kat Hird
“Dunkins for coffee but Starbucks for all other drinks.” -Ali Tyburski
“Dunks is better for a college budget so I usually end up with that. Plus, they are usually more accessible. BUT, Starbucks is better if I want a hot decadent beverage with way better quality and a stronger brew!” -Emily Tully
“I love Starbucks so if I were rich I’d chose that, but being a broke college student and the convenience of having it around campus I would go with Dunks.” -Caileigh Chaffin
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It seemed to me after talking to a wide variety of people that there were a few common trends in why people chose the coffee shop they did. Price, location, flavor and service were all things most people seemed to find important when making their decision. What’s does a Dunkins coffee habit cost compared to a Starbucks one? Where are the majority of the chains planting their stores? What’s going into the flavors you’ve grown to love? What kind of training are the employees expected to go through in order to represent their respected brands? Let’s investigate!
What’s this going to cost me?
Most of us are short on cash, so it would make sense that cost would be a huge factor in where we’re going to get our coffee! The following are average the prices that these chains are charging for their signature cup of Joe and how much you’re spending if you’re drinking their stuff on a daily basis!
Dunkins:
1 medium hot coffee: $1.69
x 7 days a week: $11.83
x 30 days in a month: $50.70
x 365 days in a year: $616.85
1 medium iced coffee: $2.50
x 7 days a week: $17.50
x 30 days in a month: $75.00
x 365 days in a year: $912.50
Starbucks:
1 grande hot coffee: $1.96
x 7 days a week: $13.72
x 30 days in a month: $58.80
x 365 days in a year: $715.40
1 venti iced coffee: $3.10
x 7 days a week: $21.70
x 30 days in a month: $93.00
x 365 days in a year: $1,131.50
What’s convenient?
Since anyone without a vehicle on campus is pretty much limited to the options they are able to walk to, location is key for their businesses to be successful. Here’s how far you’re traveling to get your caffeine fix: (estimated from T-Hall)
Dunkins:
Dunkin’ Donuts on Dover Rd (Mobile Station): 0.7 miles (13 minute walk)
Dunkin’ Donuts on Concord Rd in Lee (before Market Basket): 4.0 miles (8 minute drive)
Fun facts:
- Dunkin’ Donuts was founded in Quincy, Massachusetts!
- There are over 9,800 locations worldwide! (a little over 6,800 of those in the U.S)
Starbucks: (does not include “Starbucks Retailers” located in Gables Convenience and Pita Pit)
Starbucks on Webb Place in Dover (near Applebee’s): 8.6 miles (17 minute drive)
Starbucks in Portsmouth Center: 12.2 miles (19 minute drive)
Fun facts:
- Starbucks has over 17,009 locations worldwide and is the largest coffeehouse company in the entire world! (11,000 coffee houses are in the U.S)
- You can find a Starbucks in almost every airport in the U.S!
Savor the flavor!
We’ve clearly got some specific flavor preferences when it comes to our favorite brews. Too weak, too strong, too sweet and not sweet enough were all things you guys said go into choosing where you’re stopping on the way to start your day. I did a little research on the type of beans these companies are using in an attempt find out what makes their flavors so unique!
Dunkins:
Dunkin’ Donnuts boasts that all of their coffee is made from 100% Arabica coffee beans, but who actually knows what that means? (not me!)
Arabica beans are harvested in Southeast Arabia and contain less caffeine that almost any other type of coffee bean! The beans take 7 years to harvest and account for almost 80% of the world’s coffee production!
Starbucks:
Starbucks has recently joined the growing movement of “fair-trade” coffee. This means that any and all coffee being sold with the Starbucks name on it must meet the the specific standards set by Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices (C.A.F.E) guidelines. Starbucks holds themselves personally responsible for the conditions that their coffee is grown in and ensures its customers that the farmers involved in growing their coffee are treated in a humane and just way. They also make a conscious effort to purchase their coffee from small-scale farmers in an effort to invest in the expansion of the global market! All of these are really awesome things that I was pleasantly surprised to learn about Starbucks!
Now onto the beans! Instead of offering one type of bean, Starbucks lets you choose from 29 different blends! That’s right, 29! Their most common “House Blend” is grown in Latin America and combines 3 different types of beans to produce the strong, rich flavor many of you enjoy. Their coffee comes from regions all over the globe, for the purpose of “showcasing particular growing regions” according to the Starbucks website.
Check out all the different flavors available for purchase here: http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/whole–bean–coffee
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Get my order right!
Service is an important part of the coffee industry. There’s nothing worse than taking a sip of the only hope you have for a good start to your day and realizing they forgot to put the cream in! (Happens all too often!) What kind of training are these employees undergoing? What makes them qualified to put together a cup of liquid that, for many of us could mean the difference between complete sanity and absolute madness.
Dunkins:
All Dunkin’ Donuts employees are required to go through a training program after being hired to ensure that they can perform in what I’m sure is a chaotic environment, especially in the mornings when we’re all still a little grumpy and feigning for our caffeine! I talked with a few of my friends who have experience working at Dunkin’ Donuts (Thanks Katie and Jeff!) to find out what this training is all about! They told me that they each had to do about 12 hours of computer stimulated training (split up into about 3 hours a day). The computer program had them respond to the “customers” needs by stimulating different orders and having the trainee go through the processes of making different coffees/sandwiches/beverages etc. Once all computer hours are completed and the manager feels as though you have learned the basic skills, you are taken onto the floor and quizzed on what you have learned. Each employee must verbally go through the steps of making different menu items before they move onto the next part of training. Finally is the real deal. The trainees are asked to actually create menu items on their own! (Don’t worry, they don’t sell them to customers on the first try!) Once they have successfully completed the menu of items, they are signed up for shifts and slowly build up their hours before being thrown into a 6am coffee rush!
Starbucks:
Unfortunately, I don’t know any Starbucks employees to give me the insider info on what being trained to work at The Bucks is actually like, but there were a few online resources that gave me a decent idea! According to Brooke Locasico, a former employee of Starbucks who journaled about her training on a blog, Starbucks holds it’s employees to a 5-star training standard. All employees are expected to create a relaxing environment that their customers will want to come back to again and again. Brooke also noted that employees are rewarded for excellent service by potential raises as well as health benefits for part-time employees. The price they have to pay for theses so-called “perks”? An intensive training program that requires potential employees to study and answer questions and about all of the service stations in a Starbucks coffeehouse. The readings, as stated by Brooke take about 6 hours to complete come with tough quizzes that must be passed before completion. When the reading is completed the trainees are allowed to go behind the bar and be directed by a manager on how to make specific drinks. After a few demonstrations, they are asked to create menu items on their own and are not allowed to move onto new stations until the previous is completed perfectly. Unlike the week long training at Dunkin’ Donuts, this training takes weeks or even months for employees to be trusted to perform on the floor alone since all employees are expected to be able to identify different coffee aromas and types by only one small sip. It is imperative that Starbucks employees enjoy the taste of coffee since they are subject to monthly tasting sessions in order to educate them on new flavors! This is the marines of coffee training people! And probably a good reason why Starbucks is known for their service and environment.
So there you have it, the ins and outs of the coffee culture! Regardless of whether you’re pro-Starbucks or pro-Dunkin’s I think we can all agree on the fact that coffee is a wonderful part of most collegiette’s lives and should be enjoyed whatever way keeps you from giving me dirty looks as we pass each other on the way to our 8 am’s!
Sources:
http://www.coffeeresearch.org/agriculture/coffeeplant.htm
http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0104/coffee.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkin‘_Donuts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks
http://www.starbucks.com/explore/en–us?gclid=CNGrtrmmr6wCFcZM4AodrT–YHA
http://www.dunkindonuts.com/