By: Charlotte Lamb '27
As students of Notre Dame, many of us know the area pretty well, and most of us are well aware that we have two Starbucks in a one block radius of our school. One Starbucks which is located on 8th Avenue, and the other on 9th Avenue. This made me begin to think which Starbucks is really better. Are there even any differences? So, I went to investigate.
When you first walk into a Starbucks you would naturally get in line and wait for your turn to place your order with the barista. When I walked into the 8th Avenue Starbucks, I waited for about 1 minute before ordering. While at the 9th Avenue Starbucks, I waited for about 5 minutes before ordering. I noticed that both Starbucks were incredibly busy However, the 9th Avenue Starbucks was a bit busier.
At both Starbucks, I ordered a simple Birthday Cake Pop and a Strawberry Lemonade Açaí Refresher. After ordering, I waited about one minute for the cake pop in both Starbucks, but about 4 minutes for the refresher at the 8th Avenue Starbucks, and just a quick one minute at the 9th Avenue Starbucks.
After receiving both drinks and the Cake Pop, I sat down to compare them side by side and taste them. Instantly, I could tell that the drink from the 8th Avenue Starbucks was a lighter shade of pink and the 9th Avenue Starbucks was a hot and neon pink. The taste was similar but also very different. The drink from the Starbucks on 8th Avenue was more sour and seemed to have more lemonade than the one on 9th Avenue which could explain why it was such a lighter shade of pink. While the 9th Avenue Starbucks’ drink was not as cold and it had a better balance of strawberry açaí to lemonade. The cake pop, of course, tasted the same.
Something I feel is an important factor is customer service to run a successful chain and the decorations in the store. At both Starbucks’ the baristas were kind, friendly, and welcoming. They would greet you at arrival, thank you for your order, and wish you a nice day when reciting your order at the counter. There were fun fall signs all around the stores advertising anything pumpkin spice that made you feel at home upon the arrival.
As for the physical aspects of the Starbucks, 9th Avenue was bigger overall, as it had bathrooms for guests and more seating options. It also had a matching mural on the outside and inside of the store, and many paintings and artworks that matched the vibe of the store. As for the 8th Avenue Starbucks, it was smaller but had a glass window all around the front that let lots of natural lighting into the store which was cool and quaint from the inside. However, the 8th Avenue Starbucks had not as many tables and no bathroom inside.
As for the location of the Starbucks’, the 8th Avenue one is further from the school, but closer to 14th st and 8th Avenue which is located near numerous bus stops and train stations. This is good if you get off your transport in the morning and pick up something on the way to school, or if you’re in a hurry to catch a bus or train and need a quick snack for the ride. On the other hand, the 9th Avenue Starbucks is closer to the school and bigger, which would be better to meet a group of friends after school to hang out.
As for which Starbucks is really better, who can say? Everybody likes something a little different and you might just have to try both Starbucks locations for yourself!
Sources: Photos by Charlotte Lamb
Edited by: Chloe Lim '27, Katarina Radulovic '24 and Ms. Brilliant
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