Chilly weather and colorful trees are approaching just around the corner in Palatine, meaning so is the surge of festive and seasonal drinks in coffee shops. At the end of every August, large commercial businesses, like Starbucks release a fall line of drinks, sometimes switching it up. This year Starbucks has released its Apple Crisp variety, and a Pumpkin Spice line. Both can come as coffees, Frappuccinos, and new this year, as crème beverages. Along with these festive drinks, throughout the entire month of September, every Thursday, all drinks are 50% off after noon, making these half free coffee days a whirlwind at locations.
“I had a chance to get an Apple Crisp latte last late-start, since Starbucks opened their line up like two weeks ago, and it’s better than last year’s,” said senior Calla Carlson. We have three locations near Palatine High School, two walking distance from campus. Many students walk to the shopping center behind the school for their lunch periods, which has two Starbucks locations, and a Dunkin’! Dunkin’ also releases fall beverages that are quite popular, and less expensive than the Starbucks specialty drinks.
“I’ve been getting Starbucks a lot lately, and with drinks being half off after 12 p.m. every Thursday, it makes the $10 drinks more worth it,” said senior Emily Czechowski. She says she can get two of the holiday drinks for one and it’s a “go-to pick-me-up” for her and her teammate before practice. The only downside is that most in store cafe locations like inside of a Target or Jewel Osco cafe do not follow many promotions that the regular locations do. Regardless, the half off pricing at solo locations has drawn incredible attention and even more popularity to the already blooming corporation.
“Ever since Starbucks started these promotions, half price days are nightmares when it comes to noon. With fall drinks out, we have lines backed up out the door and drive through,” said Xavior L, shift lead at Rosemont Starbucks. Starbucks started a promotion chain of different offers each month, usually being free or half off drinks at certain times, which has left drive through lines backed up almost to main roads, and half-hour waits. The order system at Xavior’s location has even crashed due to the extreme amount of orders surging in at once.
Starbucks has always been a very popular coffee shop, but their promotions and fall exclusives have increased Starbucks popularity in the Palatine community even more. Having multiple locations so close to the school provides students with easy access, easily explaining the amount of Starbucks garbage lying around the school.
