When ordering a Venti coffee in the morning, an avid coffee drinker would not normally receive disgusted stares. The employee at the cashier probably had the same serving of coffee minutes before taking the order, but this time they look at the customer with an annoyed wrinkle of disappointment.
“You mean you want a large coffee,” the cashier says. The customer laughs to hide the shame. It was Peet’s, not Starbucks. How embarrassing.
To better serve increasingly fast-paced world, Starbucks has expanded irrationally. Its insistence on serving customers as quickly as possible has degraded the coffee’s quality and overshadowed the traditional coffeehouse charm.
Starbucks may be the coffee that makes daily visits to the hands of a large population of all ages, but Peet’s serves the quality coffee with individual attention for the traditional coffee lovers.
After ordering a Starbucks beverage, one can expect the drink to be ready in 30 seconds, while Peet’s coffee takes much longer to prepare. Though Starbucks’ efficiency may work for the rushed student or workaholic, its quality suffers from the quick brew.
“Peet’s has excellent quality coffee that you can enjoy even in a latté,” senior Shalaka Bhat said. “When you order a latté at Starbucks, it’s more of a sugary-milky concoction, whereas at Peet’s, you can actually taste the coffee, which is quite an accomplishment.”
When Starbucks drinkers try Peet’s coffee for the first time, the typical reaction is that the coffee is really strong. Peet’s coffee beans tend to be much richer than those of Starbucks, whose beans are sweeter and a bit milder in comparison.
Unless accustomed to a bolder roast, it is advised that the customer sticks to Starbucks for a late night studying period, or else Peet’s may cause major insomnia.
Both companies offer a wide variety of drinks, yet Starbucks tends to experiment more, for better or for worse. While some trials such as the Green Tea Frappuccino were well received, others have made a nice trip to the trashcan.
While both Peet’s and Starbucks
coffee are argued to be better than the other, the fact is that there are two types of people in the world.
There are Peet’s people and there are Starbucks people. Neither is distinguishable enough to discriminate against, so the coffee lovers may live in peace with one another. That is, until a Peet’s fan brings a Peet’s cup into the neighboring Starbucks.