Coffee, or any source of caffeine, seems to be what high schoolers run solely on. And while Dunks says “America Runs On Dunkin”, what does this high schooler think you should run on? You are either a Dunkin goer or a Starbucks lover. So which is best? I think it depends on what you are looking for. Both chains offer many different menu items. They have coffee, food, teas, refreshers, etc. I think what you order dictates what brand you prefer. While they are both coffee and food restaurants, they couldn’t be more different in what they offer.
Starbucks offers hot coffees, hot teas, hot drinks, frappe’s, cold coffees, iced teas, cold drinks, breakfast, lunch, baked goods, snacks, oatmeal and yogurt. All of these categories then have sub categories and the list goes on. Their coffees are pretty similar to what Dunks offers, both hot and iced. Starbucks does vary in their hot drink category, offering hot chocolates, hot apple juice and steamers. Though I can’t imagine these items are very popular, who would go to Starbucks just to order steamed milk. In their cold drink section they offer bottled juices and refreshers. The juices are somewhat elevated from the juices offered in Dunkin’s cooler. They have their brands energy drinks as well as organic juices with flavors like berry, orange and watermelon. Starbucks also offers refreshers, but they always seemed to be sold out when I go. The flavors are definitely interesting, like their Kiwi Starfruit or Mango Dragonfruit options. These drinks also give you the option to have fresh fruit mixed in, something Dunkin doesn’t have. I will say that Starbucks’ coffee drinks are usually better than Dunkin. Dunkin also seems to have a problem with consistency. I have never had a drink taste the same as it did on my last order from Dunks. However, I couldn’t live without my Peach Passionfruit refresher from Dunkin.
Both brands also offer merchandise options for you to make your own branded coffee at home. The at-home coffee flavors are pretty similar, but Dunkin offers K-Cups and Starbucks offers instant coffee. I have not tried any of these at home options, so I am unable to give my opinion on them. But, it is fair to say that if you prefer Starbucks coffee over Dunkin coffee then you’ll probably prefer Starbucks at home coffee and vice versa. The merchandise is where these two vary. Dunkin offers two types of tumblers and that’s about it. Starbucks on the other hand offers cold cups, tumblers, mugs, water bottles and even a shopping bag. All of these cup options come in a variety of colors, patterns, textures, etc. I think Starbucks wins in this category.
The last category, and the one that I think is the most important, is the food. Even though these are coffee places, I think the food is what tips them over the finish line. Everything else is so similar between the two brands, with some variation, but the food is where they really differ. Dunkin is, of course, known for their donuts, something Starbucks barely offers. Starbucks has one plain glazed donut available on their menu, whereas Dunkin has many different varieties of options available, all of them delicious. Starbucks does have many unique bakery items, such as a cheese danish, cake pops, scones and loaves. They also offer chocolate croissants which is something Dunkin just recently added to their menu. I think the lunches, like the grilled cheese sandwich, that Starbucks offers are a little better than Dunkin, But, nothing can beat a breakfast sandwich from Dunks. I love a good bacon egg and cheese on a croissant from Dunkin in the morning. Dunkin also offers hash browns and stuffed bagel bites. The sweet black pepper snackin’ bacon from Dunks has an interesting flavor that I could do without, but other than that all of their food items are delicious. I think Dunkin beats Starbucks in this category based on my usual order.
It is pretty hard to declare one overall opinion that would satisfy everyone because it is a very subjective question. I personally believe that Dunkin is better overall, but that is because I don’t really drink coffee and I always get a donut, which Starbucks doesn’t have many options for. But, if you are a big coffee person I would probably recommend Starbucks over Dunkin.