Most importantly, coffee shops offer an amazing array of comforting confections, savory snacks, and delectable drinks perfect for a pick-me-up or a light meal. With over 70,000 coffee shops across the country, the question remains: which coffee shop is the best: Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee, or Dunkin’ Donuts?
Founded in 1971 by Gerald Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl, the first Starbucks shop attracts thousands of tourists, coffee enthusiasts, and caffeine-hungry teenagers in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Wait times can range from fifteen minutes to over an hour long. The renowned now has over 36,000 international locations, with 15,000 of them here in the United States.
Alfred Peet, eager to dip his toes into the coffee sector, opened the first Peet’s Coffee Shop in Berkeley, California, in 1966. Its extensive coffee and tea portfolio ranges from Mighty Leaf Tea, to Stumptown, and Intelligentsia, proving that Peet’s Coffee truly has a drink for anyone. With 370 venues, Peet’s is known for its fresh, high-quality coffee and skilled craft roasters. As an added fun fact: Alfred Peet actually trained the three founders of Starbucks on how to roast coffee beans!
In 1950, the first Dunkin’ Donuts coffee shop opened in Quincy, Massachusetts, established by Bill Rosenberg. Over eleven thousand locations later, Dunkin’ Donuts remains proud of its quality ingredients that produce the freshest coffee and sweetest doughnuts.
The Saint Francis community provided their personal insight as to what the consensus is. The Lancer surveyed a total of 40 students and eight teachers, asking whether Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee, or Dunkin’ Donuts was the best coffee shop. Among students, the decision was almost unanimous: 35 chose Starbucks, 4 chose Peet’s, and 1 person chose Dunkin’. Caroline Luu (’26) stated, “I love Starbucks because it offers a wide variety and range of foods, from breakfast foods to pastries to brunch foods. They have a wide variety of drinks from fruity and tropical drinks, such as refreshers, to classic caffeinated coffee.”
Among teachers, the responses were more divided. Out of the eight teachers surveyed, five chose Peet’s and three chose Starbucks, pushing Peets into the lead at a 62.5% majority over Starbucks’s 37.5%.
It’s fairly obvious that Starbucks dominated as the best coffee shop among students, yet the faculty’s more developed taste persisted that Peet’s Coffee remains victorious. As for Dunkin’ Donuts, it is safe to say that the Saint Francis community generally stays away from it.
