The growing trend this 2025-2026 school year among all grade levels seems to be an ongoing pattern. Students are seen around the hallways with either a coffee or a colorful refresher, the only difference being that it is not from the same brand. Students can be seen carrying Starbucks cake pops, croissants, refreshers, and coffees. Or bagels, refreshers, coffees, or donuts from Dunkin’.
Well, which one is it, Dunkin’ or Starbucks? This pressing question has been turned over to the students of RV to decide. Students from different grade levels were given a Google Form to fill out and instructed to choose their preference on either Starbucks or Dunkin’, and to provide a quote on the choice they had made. So let the race begin!
The survey was sent to students in APUSH I, second block, representing a percentage of sophomores and some juniors at RV, and it’s clear that Dunkin’ got the head start in the race, leaving Starbucks in the dust.
When the survey was released, fierce debate and conversation commenced. Teacher of the Year Tony Pietrofietta also providedhis hot take: “Dunkin’ is moderately priced, and their locations are much easier to find,” Pietrofietta said.
Another anonymous RV student agreed with Mr. P’s opinion, saying, “Dunkin’ is better due to the fact that it’s less expensive and has more locations near RV. So if you’re from any of the sending districts, it’s more convenient to purchase on the way to school.” Although not everyone is in agreement with Mr. P, as students who are rooting for Starbucks commented, “I believe Starbucks has real coffee,” said Lorelai Malette, “Dunkin’ is full of sugar and is worse for you than just the caffeine itself.” Other students described Dunkin’ as a cheap alternative to Starbucks.
Some students saw a tie between the two coffee franchises and stated they both enjoyed similar drinks each store has to offer, such as the Strawberry Dragonfruit Green Tea made by Dunkin’ and the Mango Dragonfruit with Peach juice made by Starbucks. One student also responded, “Nothing is better than a fresh Venti Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refresher.” Feedback seemed to vary based on the different menus of Starbucks and Dunkin’. In regard to Starbucks, a student saw their menu as “frilly and having very random foods and drinks,” which is relatable because many high school students wouldn’t typically order a truffle, mushroom, and brie egg bite.
But upperclassmen seem to like the sophistication Starbucks has to offer. “I like the pastries and a good Iced Chai latte,” junior Jade Noel said.
In terms of pastries, Starbucks has a wide variety of desserts, and its cake pops are a common trend among students. Calisse Gaines says, “Starbucks has great food along with their drinks, unlike Dunkin’. Dunkin’s food is just EEEyuckkkkkk.” But some students might disagree, like Isabella Rubler, who poses a strong rebuttal to the previous statement against Dunkin. “Dunkin’ because I like the food and drinks better and there are more options for food,” Rubler says, “And the donuts are so good.”
Students have also based their responses on the accessibility of the two stores in the morning for a breakfast run. John Kinville claims, “Starbucks has little to no breakfast items. I can’t think of anyone who wants to go to Starbucks to get breakfast.” Griffin Fair was in agreement with John, saying, “Dunkin’ is better due to the fact that it’s less expensive and has more locations near RV. So if you’re from any of the sending districts, it’s more convenient to purchase on the way to school.”
It also does not help that Starbucks seems to be messing up students’ orders at such a high price. On the other hand, one studentfound Dunkin’ more unorganized than Starbucks, making the shocking comment, “Dunkin’s food is hit or miss; sometimes it is warm and fresh, but sometimes the food is flat, sloppy, and gross. One time, the workers left a cheese wrapper in my food, too.” But as mentioned prior, Dunkin’ stores are more accessible for RV students in the mornings. So it’s either cheaper food from Dunkin’ with a shorter wait or overpriced food from Starbucks with a higher probability of a misspelled name or wrong order.
The results are in. The survey reached 40 responses, and we have RV’s top choice for a coffee run in the morning. Our winning brand name is…Dunkin’. 74.4% of students voted yes for Dunkin’, and 54.4% voted yes for Starbucks. We have our winner. Congratulations to all those who participated and voted. The overall outcome of this research is that America really does run on Dunkin’.
