Many people in Vernon Hills are faced with the choice of competing coffee chains. Adults and high school students alike depend on coffee to start their day, and the choice often comes down to either Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks.

The largest difference between the two is cost. Whenever cost is brought up, Dunkin is the clear winner.¨I prefer Dunkin over Starbucks some days,” said Tatiana Lehocky (12), “it’s much cheaper and has 99 cent iced coffee all the time with the baseball card.”

Proximity to VHHS is another important factor. Located only 2 minutes away from school, students and teachers can get a quick energizer from Dunkin before they start their day. Allison Cherwenka (11) said,¨It’s quicker, but it’s a little difficult because there is no drive thru for Dunkin but there is for Starbucks.¨

Opinions on worker efficiency vary greatly. ¨I think they’re both actually pretty equal,” said Daria Potarskiy (12), “It depends on how many people are in line; I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes at either one.”   

While a fast pace is good for the morning, it isn’t the best for creating a relaxed mood. At Dunkin, many get the feeling that the company only values their money and not the customer. Zak Baumann (11), favors Starbucks over Dunkin: “I think that the atmosphere of Starbucks is better, especially if you’re doing homework.”

Many people believe that another key difference between the two is menu options. Dunkin’s menu variety is unconventional but valid nonetheless:¨I think we have more variety since it’s Baskin also,” said Dunkin employee Luz Barradas, who has been working there for two years.  “People come here to get ice cream a lot,” said  Barradas. Not including the ice cream,¨Dunkin is starting to branch out and do smoothies and stuff,¨ said Cherwenka, suggesting that Starbucks may begin to have more competition in this aspect.

¨Based on menu options, I’d have to go with Starbucks,¨ said Elizabeth Ochoa (9).  Starbucks workers have a pretty good idea of why that is: ¨We have a secret menu. So I feel like we can be really cool with our drinks,” said one employee.

Company behavior is an important difference between the two to many. Starbucks puts a great deal of effort into environmental conservation and ensuring that their ¨environmental footprint¨ is reduced.

The company makes sure its customers know of its environmentally conscious actions. Emily Whalen (11) appreciates that “their java is almost completely ethically sourced.” This means that who and where they get the java from meets economic, environmental, and social standards.

¨Dunkin is huge too but they’re Dunkin Donuts. When you think of Starbucks you automatically think of coffee,” said a Starbucks employee. For the individual, however, the choice between the two is largely subjective. It boils down to taste of the coffee and what the company has to offer.