Starbucks or Dunkin’?: A head to head debating which is the superior coffee stop

Starbucks

Two words: cake pops. 

Growing up, I’ve never been a fan of coffee. The taste and even the bitter smell always makes me nauseous. While my older sister always wanted to go to Starbucks to try the newest frappuccino flavor, the only reason I’d ever come along was for a bright pink birthday cake cake pop. 

While I still refuse to drink coffee, my order has evolved to include a strawberry açaí refresher with lemonade and the occasional piece of pumpkin bread or a turkey bacon cheddar breakfast sandwich. 

I admit — my $11 every-other-day order puts a substantial dent in my bank account. It also doesn’t help that there is a Starbucks in the Village, only three minutes away from school, and another location in the Hen House right down the street from where I live.

But the closest Dunkin’ Donuts is on the corner of 75th and Metcalf, a good 20 minute drive from my house — not worth the haul for me. 

Yes, Dunkin’ has mediocre $6 glazed donut holes, but I prefer the $3 Hostess powdered sugar Donettes you can find at almost any store.

In Kansas City, there are 23 Starbucks locations and only 13 Dunkin’ Donuts locations — it’s clear which one consumers want more.

Not to mention, the only secret drink I ever hear about from Dunkin’ is an iced white mocha with caramel named the “Charli” for TikTok star Charli Damelio. Whereas my ForYou page on TikTok is filled with “secret menu” items from Starbucks like the Butterbeer Frappuccino, Sunset Refresher and the Matcha Pink Drink — a much wider selection of drinks.

But at the end of the day, only Starbucks has cake pops.

Dunkin’ Donuts

It’s 9 on a Saturday morning, you’re about to bite into a glazed donut that just came straight out of the Dunkin’ Donuts kitchen. It’s like biting right into a cloud — the perfect warm temperature, with a soft yet slightly crunchy texture. 

Wow, that bite was heaven on Earth. 

You take your first sip of the Iced Vanilla Swirl Latte. The donut aftertaste and coffee complement each other perfectly. 

The deliciousness overload sends you into an ascent off the ground. A hand touches your shoulder softly, you look up and see your teacher looking back at you with a concerned look on her face. Suddenly you realize it’s all been a dream. You then look at her other hand and notice she’s holding a plastic Starbucks cup. Has this dream suddenly turned into a nightmare?

The most obvious reason Dunkin’ Donuts is better than its competitor, Starbucks, is simply because they sell donuts. However, these aren’t just any donuts. These donuts bring you to a glorious mental state that’s unmatched by anything else. Never in my life have I tried a donut flavor that I didn’t enjoy from Dunkin’ — I’ve tried everything from Krispy Kreme to Duck Donuts.

Their food menu doesn’t stop at donuts, with a wide variety of other snacks including bagels, muffins, wraps, sandwiches and more. 

The hardest thing for me to do is choose between all the delicious items on their menu. Even if I order way more than my stomach can handle,  my wallet will be perfectly fine. I certainly couldn’t say the same about Starbucks, as their drinks are typically around $6 compared to Dunkin’s price — usually half of that.

I’m not even much of a coffee drinker but let me tell you about Dunkin’s Iced Caramel Swirl. This drink has the perfect caramel-to-coffee ratio, not too much and not too little. Starbucks caramel drinks are always way too sweet for me. There’s so many caramel coffee competitors, but Dunkin’ does it perfectly.

I do love a good frozen drink as well, so I occasionally go for a blended Vanilla Swirl or Caramel Swirl. From my experience, Starbucks Frappuccinos always end up tasting just like a milkshake. If I wanted a milkshake I would go to Winstead’s.

As if Dunkin’ couldn’t get any better, the customer service is amazing — their workers truly go above and beyond. In the mornings, even when there’s a long line, the wait still goes by quickly. Based on my many personal experiences with Starbucks, their employees are frequently rude to their customers and get the order wrong on numerous occasions.

At night when it gets late, sometimes they give you the whole order for free. There’s truly nothing better than pulling up to the window and being told, “it’s on the house.” They sometimes offer free donuts at night as well.

I think it’s fair to conclude that Dunkin’ Donuts is a far better choice than Starbucks. I mean, who doesn’t love delicious coffee, tasty donuts and incredible customer service? I donut know.