It’s expected that much of the student body enjoys a nice cup of coffee to start the day. Now that school is back in action in the safety of students’ homes, many are given the task to wake up earlier than usual for a day of zoom classes. Coffee is a nice push for many Warriors to get their eyes open. Daily doses of caffeine may come homemade and straight out the pot, the refrigerator, or cafes and coffee shops. Popular coffee houses, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, make up the majority of drinks seen around campus and in the hands of teenagers. Both are extremely liked, but which one takes the cake for the best coffee?

Dunkin’ Donuts is a go-to for lower priced coffee and pastries. The largest iced coffee racks up to $2.79. Along with lower prices, there is a popular large collection of donuts, ranging from the seasonal Halloween Donut (out now) to the Frosted Vanilla Creme donut. Sophomore Grace Jacobs regularly orders an iced coffee with three caramel pumps and munchkins in her trips to Dunkin’. “Dunkin’ is cheaper, but that doesn’t mean it’s poor quality,” said Jacobs. “I also prefer them over Starbucks because I do not agree with Starbucks stances.”

No doubt about it, Starbucks is a classic. Their coffee lingers in the world of social media through aesthetically pleasing posts and trends. Despite higher prices,  Starbucks is known for being altered or specially designed by the customer. Hit products include the wide variety of frappuccinos, seasonal hot and cold beverages, and flavorful cake pops. “I get the iced caramel macchiato and it’s honestly just 10x better than any of their [Dunkin’] drinks,” said sophomore Reagan Weathington. “The pastries are better than their donuts too.”

Orange straws, green straws, donuts, cake pops, Dunkin’ and Starbucks compare in many ways. It’s a close race as to which joint is the most favored among Gen-Z. In the real world and globally the answer is quite clear: Starbucks makes a staggering $20 billion dollars more in revenue than Dunkin’. However as society changes and ideas shift in the teenage bubble, which is more popular? When in person school is back in play will students be stopping by the West Paces Starbucks or the Dunkin’ closest to home? Only time will tell if Dubs run on Dunkin’, or prefer a cup embellished with their name from Starbucks.