Brewing Rivalry: Dunkin’ vs. Starbucks at McNicholas High School

By Maeve Rice

With fall flavors in the air, students’ morning stops have been trickier than ever with delicious options at either place.

At McNicholas High School, there is an obvious favorite coffee stop. According to a recent survey of McNicholas students and faculty/staff, 83 people chose Starbucks, a 75% lead over Dunkin Donuts, a choice preferred by 23% of the 111 respondents. In the same survey, students and facutly/staff said the most common drink ordered at Starbucks is an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, and the most popular food item ordered is the Pumpkin and Pepita Loaf.

Every year each coffee chain provides a seasonal menu. Dunkin Donuts offers a Potion Iced Macchiato, Spider Specialty Donut, Pumpkin Spice Iced Signature Latte, and a Pumpkin Donut. However, Starbucks has a wider variety of sweet treat selections. Some of the more popular drinks include Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai (crowd favorite with 26 respondents choosing this item), Salted Pecan Cream Cold Foam, Iced Apple Crisp Shaken Espresso, and Apple Crisp Macchiato. The most popular foods include Pumpkin and Pepita Loaf (a crowd favorite with 17 listing this as their top item), Raccoon Cake Pop, and a Mummy Cookie.

Freshman Matthew Becker said, “I like the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccinos and a pumpkin spice scone from Starbucks.”

However, the debate is not only among students. Mrs. Jenni Tumser, Administrative Assistant to the Principal, said she loves Starbucks but is waiting for the holiday menu. She said she orders, “A Peppermint Mocha, with extra mocha,” during the holiday season.

Multiple factors are said to heavily influence the choice of either brand, whether based on popularity among friends, getting surprised by a significant other, or even promotional ads and reward systems. Dunkin Donuts does have reward points to earn free items, as does Starbucks, although they use “stars.”

As the leaves continue to fall, the Dunkin vs. Starbucks debate shows no signs of cooling down, leaving students eagerly awaiting the next seasonal showdown.