Nearly 83.2% of teens drink caffeinated beverages regularly (Gunter, 2022). This statistic may seem surprising to most adults, however, busy, sleep-deprived kids are not surprised by this. Whether you have an hour-long commute to school or stay up all night studying, you probably need a little bit of energy in the morning to kickstart a long day of learning and thinking. Luckily for all of us, there’s a Starbucks right down the street on Montgomery Avenue. If you pop into said Starbucks before or after school, you’ll undoubtedly see an abundance of Merion students waiting in a seemingly endless line to get their fix. If you’re anything like us, you’re curious to see what your friends order and eager to understand why they order it! To find out the favorites of some of our fellow Golden Bears, we asked Addi Pollard ‘26, Siena Sandoz ‘25, Erin Lewis ‘24, and Sarah Maloney ‘23. 

Freshman Addi Pollard may be new to MMA, but not to Starbucks, going there about twice a week. Her go to drink is a tall mocha latte which she gets with either a scone or coffee cake. Addi likes her mocha in the mornings to keep her energized for the school day. Once Fall rolls around, you might see a change in order because the pumpkin spice latte is back and that’s Addi’s favorite seasonal drink. 

Siena Sandoz from the sophomore class is a huge Starbucks fan, stopping by two or three times a week usually at the Montgomery Avenue location after a long drive from New Jersey to Merion. Her usual order is a venti Dragon Drink with a buttered croissant, but once the leaves start to fall and there’s a chill in the air, you’ll catch Siena with an iced chai with one pump of pumpkin spice. Siena’s order is definitely a Starbucks classic and sounds really good!

Junior Erin Lewis isn’t as much of a regular to Starbucks compared to the other Golden Bears, but that hasn’t stopped her from making her fair share of memories. Erin usually goes to the Starbucks down on Montgomery Avenue with friends after school. She says she usually orders a grande iced chai and adds, “There’s way more flavor in the iced chais at Starbucks than at Dunkin or Wawa (I’ve checked)”.  Erin is great proof that you don’t need to go to Starbucks every day to make great memories and get great drinks. 

Sarah Maloney is a senior at MMA and an avid Starbucks patron; she shared with us that she visits Starbucks three or four times a week. Sarah’s go to order is the most complex so far:  a Strawberry Açaí refresher with light ice,  two pumps of raspberry, and no strawberries. If Sarah gets food with her order, she’ll get a chocolate croissant and sometimes pumpkin bread. Once the holidays roll around, Sarah’s order might change, and she’ll be seen with a sugar iced cookie latte. Sarah definitely has some great orders!   

Addi, Siena, Erin, and Sarah are just a few MMA students who are avid Starbucks drinkers. While not all of them go to Starbucks every day, they go relatively often and have each discovered delicacies they enjoy. No matter what you get at Starbucks or how often you go… delicious, hot cappuccinos or sweet, sugary, iced refreshers can certainly help to energize and prepare you for a long school day, practice, or rehearsal. Trips to Starbucks can provide bonding experiences and fun Merion memories! 

Sources

Gunter, Melissa. “10 Teenage Coffee Drinking Statistics to Know in 2022: Health & Safety Facts!” Coffee Affection, 24 Aug. 2022, coffeeaffection.com/teenage-coffee-drinking-statistics/