Living by the latte

Everyone has his or her own coffee habits.

You might be like Brendan Hadcock, A&S '09, who drank four large lattes every day at the end of last semester.

"When coffee [at the Chocolate Bar] went on the meal plan last year, I'd get two large lattes at time," he says. "I'd drink one on the walk back to the dorm, then the other when I got back to the dorm. Then I'd come back and get two more. I had like $800 left, and it was delicious."

Or you might buy black coffee before class or golf practice three times a week, like Sara Gogolak A&S '10.

"I see a lot of people walking around with [coffee]. You drink it during class; it keeps you focused," she says.

Boston College students spend $22,000 on coffee at on-campus dining facilities each week.

That includes about 9,500 individual beverages, and does not account for the lattes and iced coffees purchased at Dunkin Donuts, French Press Coffee, and other coffee shops down the street.

In fact, about 17 percent of all items sold on campus in a given week is coffee products, says Helen Wechsler, director of BC Dining Services.

"The caffeine is certainly a draw for many people," she says. "And we sell many sweet beverages that taste great."

It's a frequent sight on this coffee-fueled campus: students balancing tote bags and vanilla lattes, sipping white mochas while leisurely text-messaging, or dashing across the Quad - Eagle-One card in hand - to Hillside Café. The energy-infused drinks are a necessity, many claim.

"It keeps you awake, especially with a hectic schedule," says Christina Pengal, CSON '09. "I'm [a] nursing [major]. I grab something to go real quick, then off to four hours straight of lecture."

For others, it has become a comforting habit.

"I started drinking it to stay awake during exams; now it's more like a beverage to me," says Vivian Shen, CSOM '08.

She usually makes a cup at her off-campus apartment before heading to school, but does stop in to the Chocolate Bar to chat with friends and try the occasional BC brew.

The top-seller?

A 16-ounce iced latte is the most popular specialty beverage, says Wechsler, followed closely behind by regular iced coffee. Tied for third are hot lattes and iced caramel macchiatos.

"Specialty coffee sales have increased significantly," she says, adding that specialty beverages outsell drip coffee in the dining halls by a ratio of two-and-a-half to one. "For some students, a large caramel macchiato or latte becomes a meal, replacing breakfast or dessert."

Last year BC sold approximately 9,600 pounds of fairly-traded coffee. Wechsler did not have exact statistics on the rising coffee consumption on campus, but she says she is confident that "we have followed the industry trend."

The Starbucks coffee at Hillside Café is most in demand, says Wechsler, followed by coffee provided by BCDS catering, then coffee purchased in larger dining halls, and, lastly, coffee sold at the Chocolate Bar.

"I like Hillside. It has Starbucks coffee, which is a plus," says Meghan Martinek, CSOM '10.

Up until last year, only Starbucks coffee was served on campus. But pressure from students triggered a change.

"We had Starbucks only, and many students said it was too strong," says Wechsler. "That's when we brought New England Coffee to the larger centers."

The addition of Peet's coffee to the Chocolate Bar was also a student suggestion. Two years ago, students from the West Coast lobbied to bring the brand to campus, says Wechsler.

"We're always looking for ways to satisfy our customers," she says, mentioning that various students have asked about Dunkin Donuts coffee.

She adds, though, that BCDS typically does not bring franchises to campus, instead preferring to buy branded coffee from distributors and staff campus cafés with BC personnel.

"They're broadly termed 'We proudly brew' programs," she says. "We buy their coffee, follow their recipes, and then their reps come train us."

But coffee cravings know no bounds - undergrads commonly head off campus to frequent Dunkin Donuts and French Press Coffee across the street.

"It's crazy Saturday and Sunday mornings," says Nei Da Silva, manager of Dunkin Donuts. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends, he estimates that about 75 percent of DD's customers are BC students.

"I come every day - at least every other day," says Anthony Paolucci, A&S '07. "Dunkin Donuts is an excuse to get up in the morning. I need a dose of caffeine in the morning; it's a nice pick-me-up."

Reminiscent of his summers at home in Rhode Island, Paolucci orders a medium coconut iced coffee with milk and sugar to start his day.

"It's necessary; worth the two bucks in the morning," he says.

A couple storefronts down, French Press Coffee feels the student presence, as well.

"We're busy in the afternoon, after kids wake up," says James Outhay, part-time manager, with a smile. He characterizes a common BC female's order: "The female drinkers, they usually get lattes with sugar-free vanilla and skim milk."

The ubiquity of the customizable beverage spurs a college culture of coffee aficionados.

"It's so available. Everywhere you go, every dinner place, you can decide to get it," says Aelin Kim, CSOM '08.

But for as many students as there are casually strolling past a coffee counter and deciding to grab a drink on the way by, there are throngs of consumers who feel as though they need the caffeine infusion.

"We sell a lot of lattes, a couple espressos," says Kim Corcoran, employee at French Press. "I haven't had a decaf order yet from an undergraduate student."