Before the Boston Tea Party, tea was the popular drink. However, when taxes from England increased the price of tea, the people of Boston protested. Instead of drinking tea, they began to drink coffee. Every since that time we have been drinking coffee more than ever.
Coffee drinking appears to be on the rise, and this might not be a fad. The Dallas Morning News recently wrote an article about a specific new trend in cold coffee. In a Sept. 4 article, staff writer Teresa Gubbins says we have a “love affair with hot coffee.” She explains the escalation in coffee consumption is a result of the new, cool coffee options.
This growth is also true on the SMU campus, and as a result, a new coffee shop, Java City, recently opened in Hughes-Trigg Market.
When asked about the opening of Java City, Ed Devoid, general manager of Dining Services said he was pleased with the new coffee shop.
“From our research and customer feedback we realized we were missing something. In the past we have had coffee on the lower level of Hughes-Trigg, but it was not successful – mostly because of the location. This new process and set up has worked well,” said Devoid.
Since its opening, there has been great feedback from the students. Devoid stated that Java City successfully serves the students as a “quick, between-class grab.”
“It is convenient having it in the market because I can drop by and grab a cup of joe in-between classes to give me that pick-up I need,” sophomore Richard Cray said.
Both Pony Express and Flex dollars can be used to pay for the coffee.
The opening of Java City displays a small microcosm of the development of coffee shops and growth of coffee consumption around the SMU area. There are multiple coffee shops just off campus including Starbucks, Community Coffee House and Café Brazil. All of these locations are only blocks away from the SMU campus.
One major competitor is Starbucks. The chain has three locations near SMU. One shop is outside of Snider Plaza on Hillcrest Avenue, one is located on the west side of Mockingbird and I-75 and another is in the SMU Bookstore. Along with these three stores, there are 51 others in the Dallas area. Starbucks is a worldwide coffee company based in Seattle.
Another local competitor, CC’s Coffee House, is located on Hillcrest Avenue and is across from the Umphrey Lee Center. The area in which it is located is convenient to students who walk to class and have to pass Hillcrest Avenue. CC’s is a smaller, newer, family-owned enterprise based in Baton Rouge, La. It currently has 11 Dallas locations, as well as other locations in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.
One more coffee shop which appeals to the SMU community is Café Brazil. This café is also a restaurant, featuring a full menu and sit-down service. Café Brazil has several other locations in Dallas.
So, with all of these coffee options nearby, how do they compete? Each of them appeals to the SMU community, but differently.
Being nationally known, Starbucks can depend slightly more on its name to attract customers. Since Starbucks is nationwide, most students have already been exposed to one in their hometowns.
Starbucks employees believe they offer excellent customer service and provide a quiet atmosphere for students to come and study or just hang out. The Starbucks on Hillcrest Avenue estimates that 55 to 60 percent of their customers are SMU students. At the same time, the Mockingbird locations report that 35 percent of their customers are SMU students.
CC’s Coffee House also focuses on its customer service. Just like its name, Community Coffee, it places a huge emphasis on a friendly and comfortable atmosphere.
CC’s employees say they focus on the quality of their coffee as well as a quiet study atmosphere. CC’s is attempting to use the Pony Express in its local store to better serve SMU students. An estimated 60 percent of CC’s customers at this location are SMU students.
Café Brazil offers quite a different appeal. Their employees say that its 24-hour approach brings in many students for studying and late nights. It also provides live music on Mondays and Thursdays. Approximately 30 percent of customers are from SMU.
Aside from competition and location convenience, who really has the best cup of coffee?
An informal poll taken among 150 SMU students reflected varying results.
Forty-nine percent of coffee-drinking students at SMU said they have tried Java City.
Of the students interviewed, 57 percent of them reported to be coffee drinkers. Fifty-five percent had not been regular coffee consumers before college, and admitted they picked up the habit once they arrived at SMU. Because college is such a drastic change in atmosphere, schedules, class loads and stress, many students rely upon coffee as a solution to get them through the day.
“I started drinking coffee because I cannot stay awake in class without it,” sophomore Amy Messer said.
Fifty-nine percent of students said they prefer Starbucks coffee.
“I drink Starbucks coffee because there are so many stores all around the country. No matter where I go I can trust that my favorite drink will be there,” junior Tyler Torres said.
Starbucks currently has 5,688 locations nationwide, as compared to 17 locations in 1987. They are still expanding worldwide and currently have stores located in Indonesia, Germany and Spain.
At the same time, 34 percent of students prefer CC’s Coffee House. While considering the expansion and growth of this new company, the percentage is very large. When first arriving at SMU the majority of students had never heard of CC’s Coffee House. Students have managed to develop a passion for their coffee and have become loyalists to CC’s.
Senior Alyson Cooper is among the 34 percent of students who prefer CC’s Coffee House. “CC’s has the perfect atmosphere to study. On the other hand, every time that I go I see several people I know. I am able to have my favorite drink, the Mochassippi, as well as study and hang out with friends all at the same time,” Cooper said.
CC’s Mochassippi, a frozen, flavored coffee drink, was recently awarded and recognized in The Dallas Observer’s “The Best of Dallas 2002.”
Three percent of the students polled prefer Café Brazil. Another three percent of students also reported to have another favorite coffee house. Some of these include The Coffee Bean and 7-11. One other student said she would only drink her own coffee that she made at home.
Coffee consumption is on the rise, and college students are a large percentage of these consumers. With Starbucks nationwide, and CC’s rapidly expanding, what is next for coffee?
