Starbucks and Dunkin: Which Is Better?

Emalie Esmail, Sophomore Staff Writer

Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are the two leading coffee chains in the world. Both companies have tens of thousands of locations, and millions of customers daily. Everyone has their own opinion on which is the better chain– Starbucks or Dunkin? This debate has occurred for years and has yet to be settled. Of course, statistics will clearly state which is more popular, but customers constantly argue about the best place to purchase coffee and breakfast goods. Overall both coffee chains are very much alike. According to Investopedia.com, “Both companies offer similar coffee options—although different food options—and both have similar overall strategies.” The public still chooses favorites though.

Starbucks is known for its unique and vast coffee options and has a much larger footprint than Dunkin Donuts with a ratio of over 30,000 locations worldwide compared to Dunkin’s 13,000. Starbucks was also founded decades afterward and grew at a much more rapid rate, making Dunkin microscopic compared to its size. According to Businessyield.com, “In terms of market capitalization and store count worldwide, Starbucks is the larger firm.” The public has inserted Starbucks trips into their weekly, or even daily, routine. After school, teens drive with their friends, adults go before or after work, and anyone craving a good non-alcoholic drink turns to Starbucks. Starbucks provides not only drinks, but delicious breakfast goods and merchandise. As stated on Starbucks.com, “Merchandise: Coffee- and tea-brewing equipment, Verismo System by Starbucks, mugs and accessories, packaged goods, music, books and gifts.” Customers can purchase merchandise online or in-store along with their favorite drink.

Dunkin Donuts has a very similar setup to Starbucks, and is too loved by customers worldwide. It may be a smaller company, but this could be because prices are cheaper. Dunkin is a much more traditional eatery than Starbucks which is attractive to customers. They are able to diversify their money with its many products without having to spend double at Starbucks for fewer items. According to Investopedia.com, “Yes, in general, the coffee at Dunkin’ is cheaper than the coffee at Starbucks. This is primarily due to the difference in the cost of goods sold (COGS), with Starbucks having a higher COGS, which is passed on to the consumer through higher prices.” Dunkin may be less popular, but a large percentage of the population feels it is equal to or better than Starbucks.

Everyone has their own opinion on which company provides better goods, but both are top quality. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are the highest-profitting coffee companies in the world and are greatly loved by the public. The public might be able to agree on one thing though, and that is that both eateries satisfy any breakfast needs.

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