Every morning, like clockwork, students take a short drive to their local Starbucks to pick up a beloved beverage. For many, this is the real first block of the day.
Some things are now different: a fan favorite for high schoolers, the “strawberry acai lemonade,” has changed its syrup. Now, customers can change the amount of caffeine within the syrup as a healthier alternative to the original highly-caffeinated formula, but Starbucks die-hards have not slowed down their drink consumption.
“I go every day.” junior Abby Roman said. “It’s starting to become a problem.”
With students running around the store like gym class, the local Starbucks is a battle to get in and out of between 9:00-9:30 a.m.. Even so, this hectic environment has not stopped students. Students now turn to online ordering and in-store pickups, making these drinks even more accessible to Starbucks lovers. Regardless of the recipes,students resoundingly feel that a $6 drink is as essential as a Chromebook
“The morning rush at Starbucks is worth it because it’s easy to order in the morning,” sophomore Amanda Jenkins said. “I also like getting the stars that the app has.”
Students’ dedication to Starbucks teeters on the edge of borderline addiction. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, caffeine in coffee and energy refreshers is a drug substance that should be consumed wisely. A healthy adult should have a maximum of 400 mg of caffeine per day, but many exceed this amount.
“I feel like Starbucks and coffee in general is an addiction,” Junior Hailey Trebier said. ”It gets to the point where people can’t get through a day without it.”
Starbucks beverages are a very expensive addiction to have. A normal drink costs about $5-$7 each, and if the drink comes with a breakfast treat, the prices reach around $12 every morning.A student survey from Spoon University found most teens spend about $11–$20 per week on Starbucks, which can reach over $1100 per year–a lot of money for a high school student.
“Getting Starbucks is easier and better than going to Dunkin because it’s farther away than Starbucks and making coffee myself every morning takes too much time and doesn’t taste as good..” Said Sophomore Tala Samman. “So it’s worth the money.”
The strawberry refresher recipe might have changed, but Bulldog’s opinions have not.=With just a few more weeks of school left, Starbucks parking lots will not be looking any different.
