From local cafes to chain coffee shops, like Starbucks, Bucks County has it all. Walking around Pennridge High School you’ll see a variety of coffee cups like Wawa, Starbucks, and Rise and Grind Cafe. Who does it better? Is it the small businesses or is it the chain shops?  According to a poll given to Pennridge High School,52.2 percent of students preferred chain coffee shops such as Wawa, Dunkin, and Starbucks, and 47.8 percent of the students preferred local shops such as Rise and Grind, Cafe at the Mill, and Native Cafe. The student body is split when it comes to where they prefer to get their coffee. There are some factors when looking at a coffee shop that makes the shop more desirable over others: the cost of the coffee, the aesthetic and atmosphere of the shop itself, and the coffee quality.  All these factors are what lead to conversations between consumers of four different coffee shops.

Wawa, founded in the 1960s, is a convenience chain store with 950 different locations covering most of the East Coast. Wawa offers food, bottled drinks, coffee, and packaged food. Wawa has an open floor layout with cash registers and ordering menus. It is formatted to give the customer an easy in-and-out experience. A 20 oz hot coffee at Wawa is $2.19, which is the cheapest out of all four stores looked at in this article. Wawa has coffee dispensers with several different blends such as mild, dark, and a holiday blend that is seasonal. The customer can then fill their desired cup size with coffee and add creamer from a large selection. There are also sugar and spices available to top off your coffee as well. According to the poll given to Pennridge High School 17.3 percent of students that said they preferred a chain coffee shop declared Wawa as their favorite coffee shop. Anna Teliska, a senior at Pennridge, favors Wawa’s coffee because “it gives me life in the morning, for an affordable price. The flavors are simple and strong, and do not need much creamer or sugar.” Several consistent Wawa customers were quick to mention the Wawa Rewards. This is an app that can be downloaded onto a phone and is free to use and sign up for. Signing up for Wawa Rewards allows customers to get free beverages and food after spending $50.00 using the Rewards app. But for Brandon Frederick “the best part about Wawa is the free coffee Tuesdays. It is a great way to start off my day before work with a free coffee.” Every Tuesday any user of Wawa Rewards gets any size coffee for free, which is a great way to try Wawa coffee for free without spending money.

Next up in a great location right off of main street in Sellersville, Cafe at the Mill. This local small business is an underrepresented favorite for Pennridge students. According to a poll given to Pennridge High School over a quarter of the students who preferred locally owned businesses preferred Cafe at the Mill. Cafe at the Mill serves affordable breakfast and lunch seven days a week and dinner on Fridays. But what stands out the most about Cafe at the Mill is its high-end hand-crafted coffee. From lattes to iced mochas, they have it all. For a latte, the cost is baselined at $5.90, and then extras, such as flavor shots or extra espresso shots, would add to the cost. The atmosphere of Cafe at the Mill is a casual, rustic coffee shop. With a bar area, indoor and outdoor seating, and private party rooms, Cafe at the Mill is a great place to sit down and have a coffee, or a meal with friends. For Adi Garges Cafe at the Mill is her favorite place “to go out with my friends if we just want to catch up and have a tasty, handcrafted coffee.” Cafe at the Mill becomes a popular place for weekend mornings, so it can be difficult to get in and out in a timely manner, but if you’re willing to wait it is worth it. Celeste Derstine is a waitress at Cafe at the Mill and a senior at Dock Mennonite Academy. Celeste has been working at Cafe at the Mill for seven months and described her working experience as “busy; the energy is happy and an almost productive feeling. We often get compliments on how good our coffee is and that is because we ground our own coffee. For drinks that involve espresso, we use our high-end espresso machine.”

One of the most known coffee shops across the United States is Starbucks. With almost 16,000 locations across the United States (Statista) and 357 locations within Pennsylvania (Spoonuniversity.com), you can find a Starbucks anywhere you go. With 87,000 possible drink combinations (Starbucks.com), you are sure to find something you will enjoy from Starbucks. Kylie Anderson, a junior at Pennridge spoke about the commonly mentioned downfall of Starbucks, the prices. Ordering a medium, also called a Grande, iced coffee with added cold foam came to a grand total of $7.49. This is almost four times the cost of a Wawa coffee.

Kylie Anderson debates “spending that much of my money on a coffee I know will be very good over spending less money on a mediocre coffee from Dunkin.” It is commonly mentioned that Starbucks has the most consistent coffee shop. Kylie commented “knowing every time I purchase a coffee from Starbucks it will be the same and just as good every time, makes me more willing to spend the extra two to three dollars.” Despite the expensive pricing, a significant amount of Pennridge students who preferred a chain coffee store preferred Starbucks, which was 30.4 percent (PHS poll). Another upside to Starbucks is the convenience of a drive-thru option. Starbucks also has the option of going into the shop and ordering at the counter and enjoying your coffee at complimentary tables. It was a common sight to see different Starbucks customers with a coffee and pastry doing work on a laptop or sitting with friends socializing.

Finally, Rise and Grind Cafe is located in Perkasie Borough. This local coffee shop is new to Perkasie, only opening three years ago in 2019. But this coffee shop was surely a success for the people of Bucks County, especially Pennridge students. Over 30 percent of the students who preferred small businesses prefer Rise and Grind (PHS poll). Going out to get a coffee at Rise and Grind tops all shops in the atmosphere category. With a spacious seating area, chalkboard menu, along with local goods for sale around the store, it truly gives a local coffee shop feeling. Rise and Grind Cafe has wonderful seasonal drinks, such as a toasted marshmallow latte. This latte is the perfect amount of sweetness with a bold coffee flavor. The price point of a medium hot latte was $5.60. Thomas Wyatt, a teacher at Pennridge and Lieutenant Lifeguard at Cape May, takes coffee very seriously. Wyatt “loves a good local coffee.” From his perspective, “local coffee shops have to make a better coffee than a chain coffee shop does.” This justifies why the price point is higher for a coffee from a local coffee shop compared to a chain like Wawa or Dunkin. Local coffee shops must have a higher price point to support their business, but the coffee quality also must do the same. Rise and Grind Cafe certainly makes their coffee and overall experience worth the price.

After experiencing and analyzing all four of these coffee shops, they all have their own strongest category and reason to buy coffee from depending on what you want your experience to be. For the fastest and cheapest coffee, you would want to head on over to your local Wawa. Wawa has the cheapest coffee out of all four shops, and along with the rewards, you’re guaranteed a free coffee once a week. If you’re looking for the best place to go and sit with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, Rise and Grind is the place to go. With a great interior and spacious seating, you’re going to feel relaxed and very down to earth at Rise and Grind.  For a coffee you know will always hit the spot, you should check out Starbucks. Despite the expensive factor of their coffee, you know it is going to result in a great coffee every time. Starbucks also makes it easy to grab a cup of coffee on the fly with their drive-thru option. Lastly, if you are looking for a weekend morning breakfast and coffee place, Cafe at the Mill is your place. Cafe at the Mill is an energetic cafe with people enjoying their food and coffee all around you. You know you’re going to get a great cup of coffee that is handcrafted. After comparing local stores to chain stores, the main difference is that chain stores are made for convenience and time efficiency. They want you to get your coffee as fast as possible. Local coffee shops on the other hand care most about your experience while you are in their shop. They want to make sure you walk out feeling fulfilled. Local coffee shops create their shops as a place to enjoy yourself and whoever you may be with. So, when making a choice on where to get your next coffee, consider the experience you desire. Try a new shop occasionally, maybe you’ll find a new favorite!