Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter
Caffeine is the average college student’s fuel. On any college campus you will find a student with a textbook is one hand and a coffee cup in the other. College students are getting their caffeine fix on campus and off campus.
Laura Salvatore, English major, prefers Dunkin Donuts as her easy route to coffee.
“I usually get my coffee from Dunkin [in the student center] because the menu is small. At the Starbucks, I’m not entirely sure what they offer,” she said.
She said Dunkin is the easiest option of students on the run.
“Usually, I get my coffee on campus because I live on campus so that’s what I have the easiest access to,” said Salvatore.
Shawn Gilhuly, senior, disagrees that Dunkin is the best option for students.
“On campus, I will go Starbucks because of the employees and the customer service. The people who work at Starbucks were the best Dunkin employees, that’s why they moved there,” said Gilhuly. “Dunkin now has all the worst employees. If I wanted my order messed up, I’d go to Dunkin, but I like my coffee so I will go to Starbucks. Students know how their coffee will come out, based on who is working. We know which ones will and will not do it correctly.”
Students can also get hot coffee at the Bagel Wagon and the store inside Davis Hall, if they do not have time to get their fix at Starbucks or Dunkin. Or, if commercialized coffee just does not do it for students, they can explore New Haven,
For some of the best brews, students need to venture off campus. New Haven is known for its myriad of different coffee options. One coffee chain that offers many locations throughout New Haven is Blue State Coffee. Blue State Coffee offers gourmet coffee options as well as espresso drinks for students on the go, who need fast service. The chain also offers sustainable coffee options. Students can take the Union Station shuttle downtown to Broadway and visit Blue State Coffee’s convenient York St. location.
Willoughby’s is a similar option for students. The shop offers drip coffee and espresso drinks with locations all around downtown New Haven.
If the student has a couple more minutes to spare, they can stop at The Coffee Pedaler. The Coffee Pedaler offers unique single origin coffees from all around the world and espresso drinks. What sets The Coffee Pedaler apart from others is that they offer almost exclusively pour overs. For the coffee novices, a pour over is a brewing method in which hot water is meticulously poured over freshly ground coffee beans. This produces a next level quality cup of coffee for the drinker. Though this method takes a little bit longer, the end product is a step up from the average cup of coffee.
Currently, the Coffee Pedaler is location on State St., but they are in the works in opening a store right off campus in Westville Village. The store will be on the corner of Whalley Ave. and Blake St., which is within walking distance from our main campus.
As long as there are college students in New Haven, there is bound to be a flourishing coffee scene. To find to best jolt for their buck, students can wander outside of Southern’s campus.
Photo Credit: Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter