College students and professors are some of the most well-caffeinated people around, thus making it pretty important to know the ins-and-outs of the local coffee shops around campus.
When determining which establishment is most student and faculty friendly, one must take into consideration the history, location to campus, price, taste, quality and atmosphere of each coffee shop.
History
Peet’s Coffee and Tea is considered by many fans or “Peetniks” to be the “Father of Starbucks.” According to the official Peet’s website, it all began in 1966, when Alfred Peet opened a small coffee shop on the corner of Walnut and Vine Streets in Berkeley, Calif.
Born in Holland, Peet grew up in the coffee trade and immigrated to America after World War II. Shocked by what the United States considered to be coffee, Peet opened his first Peet’s Coffee and Tea store on April 1, 1966.
Five years later, the first Starbuck’s opened its doors on March 20, 1971, in Seattle’s Historic Pike Place Market. Back then, the multi-national company of today was but a single store that initially only sold coffee beans and coffee-making materials rather than the coffee beverages of today.
If you dig into the history books, you’ll find that the three founders: Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker were inspired by Alfred Peet to open their own coffee store and were trained to roast coffee beans by none other than Peet himself. Which is why Peet’s is named the “Father of Starbucks”.
Location to campus
When it comes to location, there seems to be a Starbuck’s on every corner wherever you go. There are 10 locations within an eight-mile radius of the North Central College campus.
On the other hand, Peet’s has fewer establishments worldwide and only has three locations within an eight-mile radius of campus. However, a new Peet’s has replaced the Caribou Coffee located on Ogden Ave. in Naperville.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about Peet’s, but it’s too bad that there isn’t one within walking distance to campus,” says junior Samantha Hess.
Taste
When comparing each coffee shop’s caramel macchiato, Peet’s offers a very sweet drink with a mild coffee flavor while Starbucks’ drink embodies a bolder espresso taste with a side note of caramel.
Students, who frequently ask for extra pumps of flavoring in their Starbucks drinks, may prefer Peet’s Coffee while students who enjoy the bold taste of their coffee should go for Starbucks.
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Quality
“I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but I think Starbucks is overrated,” says sophomore Ella Mack.
In 2007, Consumer Reports ranked Starbucks’ coffee behind McDonald’s Premium Roast stating that Starbucks coffee was “strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open.”
Meanwhile, Peet’s maintains a strict standard of freshness by hand-roasting every batch “to order” in its roasting facility in Calif., which is a LEED Gold certified facility. In Peet’s shops, coffee is served within 30 minutes of brewing to ensure freshness. Peet’s also provides the “roast on” and “purchase by” dates on the coffee bags, which Starbucks doesn’t do.
Atmosphere
Peet’s Coffee and Tea, located on Ogden Avenue in Naperville, is noticeably quieter than Starbucks. Most people in Peet’s were sitting alone, scribbling in a notebook, typing away at a laptop, or reading while soft classical music was playing in the background.
At Starbucks, located on the corner of West Jefferson Avenue and South Main Street in downtown Naperville, patrons are most often sitting in small groups of two or three while their conversations compete with the upbeat background music.
Peet’s is much more successful at creating a local, homey and around-the-corner atmosphere than Starbucks, whose goal seems to be to create the exact same environment at every branch. Most Starbucks feature earthy tones, a fireplace, cushy arm chairs and funky art-deco decorations, which have become a unique decorating style of their own.
