Getting your caffeine fix on campus
Compiled by Sofia Hashi
WHETHER IT’S LATE-NIGHT lattes or an early morning cup of joe, getting your daily caffeine rush is a serious business. Any strategic coffee drinker knows where they can find the best cup within a matter of minutes and will scoff at the casual coffee sipper, who usually finds themselves trapped in the longest of lineups. With exam season inching closer, some of us at the Fulcrum decided to weigh in on some of campus’ best and worst coffee spots. Hopefully reading this coffee showdown will keep you looking well rested and doe-eyed—or at least feeling that way.
Second Cup… first in my heart
Second Cup offers variety and customization comparable to the fancier places on campus, but without pretentious and confusing size names in different languages. It sells warm and cool beverages, many of which are either traded fairly or Rainforest Alliance certified.
Just as important, said beverages are yummy. Bonus: If you’ve got an SPC card, you’ve instantly got a free upgrade in size, which equals even more yumminess!
Second Cup also has a magical secret menu only the cool kids know about; try ordering a marble hot chocolate next time you’re in the mood for something delish.
Another reason to hit up the Cup? The baristas are legit hilarious, especially at the library location. Speaking of which, this primo venue means you never have to venture outdoors from your self-imposed study marathons to get your caffeine fix—but, I do suggest occasionally going home to shower.
—Ali Schwabe
Starbucks—wait, how do you say that in Italian?
Ah, Starbucks—the only place you can order in Italian and no one bats an eyelash. While the usual avid Starbucks-goer elicits images of miniature-sized celebrities sporting a tray filled with venti-sized drinks cruising in uptown New York City, don’t be fooled by this coffee chain’s image. It might take a bit to learn the Bucks’ lingo—decaf venti five-pump white mocha, three-pump peppermint, half soy, half non-fat, no foam, and caramel drizzle, say what?—but, if ordered correctly, Starbucks offers tons of delicious drinks that will keep you from dozing off during your study sessions. The only downside to Starbucks is the ridiculous pricing and the longest lineup you’ll find outside Desmarais before 8:30 a.m.
—Sofia Hashi
Tim Hortons: Can’t get enough of that Canadian coffee
What is it to be Canadian? In such a multicultural, bilingual country, is it possible to identify a tie that binds us all together? The answer is yes. Canadians from coast-to-coast are united by our shared love of Tim Hortons coffee.
Coffee from Tim Hortons keeps us warm while we shovel snow after a blizzard, wakes us up for 5 a.m. hockey practice, and strengthens us as we fight off the polar bears that threaten to inhabit our backyards. I’ve yet to meet a Canadian who hasn’t excitedly rolled up the rim to win or happily donated spare change to the Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation.
Tim Hortons coffee is so important to our national identity that a franchise was opened on the Canadian military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. If it’s good enough for our heroes overseas, it’s good enough for me. Long live the true north, strong, and free. Long live Tim Hortons!
—Kristyn Filip
Timothy’s: Where everybody knows your name
For any resident of Sandy Hill, Timothy’s is more than just a place to grab your caffeine during a cram session: It’s a home away from home.
This formerly family-run franchise has employed the same helpful, friendly, and extremely competent workers for years, which is something to be appreciated given the high turnaround of other on-campus businesses.
With an excellent brewed coffee selection, as well as their own version of anything Starbucks or Second Cup offers, Timothy’s is a perfect around-the-corner go-to for any student looking for somewhere quiet to study or have a conversation that won’t be drowned out by bad holiday music and staff screaming out orders back and forth.
With an obvious eye for local art and a few regulars that lend the coffee shop real character, Timothy’s is a major contender for best coffee shop in town—franchise or no franchise.
—Jaclyn Lytle
