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Give Me Coffee: Shortest And Longest Wait Times In State College

It’s the final week of classes, but finals week is fast approaching. The dreaded week before winter break only means less sleep, more work, and longer hours in the library.

If you’re like me, you won’t be able to get through the next 10 days without copious amounts of coffee. And if you’re also like me, you probably procrastinated all of your final projects to this week like a big dumb idiot, meaning the little time you have left is precious and can’t be wasted waiting for coffee.

So instead of studying, I went to five of State College’s most notable coffee establishments in the name of journalism to find out where to get the quickest cup of coffee.

To keep things on an even playing field, I tried to go between the times of 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., and always ordered a regular coffee. I started my timer from the time I received my receipt, and stopped my timer when I was given my cup of joe. Lastly, I did not include any places that make you fill up the coffee yourself. Sorry to the Irving’s and Berkey Creamery enthusiasts.

Saint’s Cafe: 0:43

This was actually my first time going to Saint’s, and man, were they fast. I hadn’t even put my credit card back into my wallet when they handed me my coffee. Saint’s was not as packed as some other places I visited, and virtually no wait time was a big plus.

Dunkin’ Donuts: 2:47

This was a solid time for one of America’s largest coffee establishments, especially when you consider how packed it was. Sure, the wait was longer than Saint’s, but really, I can’t complain about a wait under three minutes? It could certainly be worse.

Webster’s Bookstore Cafe: 3:00

Another coffee place I had never been to, but I was again impressed. Webster’s wasn’t as fast as Saint’s, and was slightly slower than Dunkin’ Donuts, but the extra thirteen seconds was miniscule. If you’re in a rush, Webster’s won’t keep you waiting around for long.

Starbucks (College Ave.): 6:35

Given the volume of people ordering their caffeinated beverages from the national coffee staple, the long wait time wasn’t unexpected. There was actually a girl named Lisa who ordered a regular coffee too, and her order came before mine. For whatever reason, Lisa wasn’t there to pickup her order, so I thought that maybe I was “Lisa” and they just messed up the name. I was not. Instead, I waited over six minutes for my coffee. That’s too long for coffee, especially when you’re in a hurry.

Starbucks (HUB) — 6:42

I decided to give Starbucks another try, and instead visited the HUB location to see if there was quicker service there. Nope. I again waited more than six minutes, with the HUB spot taking an extra seven seconds than the downtown location. I guess if there’s one thing to say about Starbucks, it’s that it’s consistent.

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Love coffee? Check our our interactive map to find the closest place for you to fuel up on campus.

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About the Author

Patrick Koerbler

Patrick Koerbler is a senior Journalism major/History minor from the mean streets of Palmerton, PA. His career goals include becoming the Director of Public Relations for the New York Yankees, and co-hosting a Penn State football podcast with Matt McGloin. Patrick is also a ledge, his interests include sandwiches, and his best friend is Andrew Wiggins. For more fun, you can follow him on Twitter -- @GoodDudePat -- or contact him via email at [email protected]. Go Sixers.

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