Corporate Coffee vs. Local Coffee
As a high school student constantly running between school, practice and work, I’ve always needed a boost of energy to get me through my day. Coffee has become a part of my routine, often making multiple daily appearances, in addition to the traditional morning cup.
Fortunately for my parents(and their wallets), they have not fallen into the addicting trap that is coffee. Subsequently, we do not own a coffee maker, so I am forced to buy my coffee elsewhere. During my busiest weeks of the year, diving, cheerleading, homework, school and sleep take up quite a bit of my valuable time, leaving me with just enough for one shift at my clothing-store job. I can confidently say that a good 70% of the $56 dollars I earn during that one shift will go toward purchasing my much-needed weekly coffee.
So why is that percentage so high? Why am I spending $5 on each cup of coffee when I could spend half of that at Dunkin’ Donuts?
I take coffee more seriously than schoolwork most of the time, and I know that if I go somewhere that cares about coffee the way that I do, a fresh, authentic cup will fuel my day. That’s not to say that if I’m running low on cash, I won’t stop at the Dunkin’ down the street and grab a medium hazelnut iced coffee with almond milk for $2.79. Compared to the $5.25 that I would pay at Artisan or Moore than Coffee , it seems like a steal!
But is it really?
Side by side, the quality of any local coffee shop is so much better than that of any corporate shop. Take McDonald’s for example. If you claim to like coffee and drink the mocha-frappa-whatevers, take a good look at the contents. On almost every single “coffee” drink they offer, the ingredients listed include things like cream, milk, condensed milk, sweetener and water. The last ingredient listed for almost every drink is espresso or coffee, meaning it is the ingredient least present in the drink. There is more condensed milk and sugar in these drinks than there is coffee. Try drinking a shot of espresso and tell me if you are really a coffee drinker.
Local coffee shops deliver fresh, quality cups of coffee, with real ingredients. Watching them pour almond milk into my latte, instead of hoping that Dunkin’ remembered to do the same, differentiates them as well. As an added bonus, it is always heartwarming to see the intricate almond-milk design on top of my latte.
It’s no wonder the “Friends” gang was always at Central Perk instead of Starbucks. As a vital fuel that some, like me, consider a life necessity, the quality of local coffee shops undoubtedly beats the carelessness and inferiority of corporate coffee businesses, every time.
