Favorite Dunkin & Starbucks Order
No matter where or when you are on campus, you will always pass students clutching a foamy latte from Starbucks or sipping on an iced coffee from Dunkin’. Many exhausted college students regard caffeine as their lifeblood, so they turn to coffee. With a Starbucks located in the bookstore and a Dunkin’ located in the Student Union, as well as additional storefronts of each down in Storrs Center, there’s no shortage of coffee options. Nutmeg Publishing asked students about their favorite orders.
A fan favorite drink frequently spotted in the hands of students is a Starbucks matcha latte. The drink is a bright green and a welcome splash of color, especially in the midst of a slushy gray winter typical of Storrs.
“I love matcha-flavored anything, and I don’t enjoy drinking coffee from most American coffee chains, so it’s the next best thing,” said Nicole Catarino, an eighth-semester English major who adamantly refuses to drink anything iced in the winter.
However, Rylee Thomas, a fourth-semester English and Communications major, prefers the iced version of the matcha latte.
“It feels cleansing, tastes sweet, and helps me focus,” Thomas said. She takes her latte with soy milk.
Catherine Casey, an eighth-semester English major, also enjoys sweet drinks.
“When I get a free drink, I always get a venti iced white chocolate mocha — three pumps of mocha, not the usual six — light caramel drizzle, and light vanilla sweet cold foam with skim milk. Casey explained. “I found it [on] TikTok, and then got addicted…It feels like a very nice reward when I have enough points for a free drink!”
Meanwhile, Team Dunkin’ at UConn, which still enjoys sweet offerings, leans a bit more on the bitter side. Amer El Zein, a second-semester economics major, loves a large salted caramel cold brew.
“It still has that really nice bitterness of the cold brew, but the salted caramel cuts through it and adds such a pleasant sweetness. I [also] feel like [the large size helps to] wake me up [in the mornings],” El Zein said.
Of course, Starbucks and Dunkin’ sell more than just coffee, which is perfect for students looking for a pick-me-up without the caffeine boost.
“I don’t really like hot drinks, [but] I love chocolate,” said Avi Obie, a second-semester digital media and design major. Obie’s go-to drink is a frozen hot chocolate from Dunkin’, usually with a Boston Kreme doughnut or a toasted bagel with cream cheese. “Boston Kreme doughnuts are the best doughnuts, and [Dunkin’s] bagels are always perfectly toasted.”
The aforementioned orders are just a sampling of UConn students’ palates. There is a plethora of food and drinks to choose from at Starbucks and Dunkin’, ensuring that students are never without a boost from their beloved lattes and hot chocolates. What’s your go-to order?
Photos By Chloe Parsell Written By Eileen Sholomicky