In this photo, students wait in line at the Student Union Dunkin’ Donuts on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015. (Jason Jiang/The Daily Campus)
University of Connecticut students wait in lines, often stretching to the end of the floor, for coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts in the Student Union instead of forgoing the wait for cafes included in their meal plans.
The restaurant’s busiest times are between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., when the line stretched from the Dunkin’ Donuts entrance to the stairs to the Undergraduate Student Government offices.
The average wait time for those in line varies from day to day, said Dunkin’ Donuts assistant manager, Victor Colon.
“The wait time depends on the crew I have and if there are any special offers that day,” Colon said.
The longest observed wait time in the last week was the Monday after a New England Patriots victory, when Dunkin’ Donuts offered free coffee for DD Perks members.
“You have to be in the line to understand the line,” said Matthew Grisevich a seventh semester political science major.
Some students do not think that the wait time for Dunkin’ is bad.
“The line was reasonable, so I decided to wait,” said Safreeca Logan a fifth semester economics major.
Name brand is a major factor that draws students to Dunkin’ Donuts.
“I know Dunkin’, that’s why I come here,” said Melissa Allen, a first semester business major. “There are so many Dunkin’ Donuts around my house. Although there are cafes, I go to Dunkin because I am familiar with it.”
The Dunkin’ Donuts in the Union is almost always busy, said Colon.
“We are hoping on expanding in a few months if possible and there is a Dunkin’ that will open near E.O. Smith within the next five weeks.” he said
Some students don’t wait in line for coffee but for tea.
“I get tea from the other cafes,” said Melanie Hackett a fifth semester classics and ancient Mediterranean studies, “I guess the only thing about Dunkin’ is that they add sugar and stuff for you. At the cafes they just give you hot water.”
The cafes and dining halls get coffee from Omar, a local coffee roaster from Newington, Conn. The Beanery also gets their coffee from a local coffee roaster, Ashlawn Farm Company in Old Saybrook, Conn., according to dining services director, Dennis Pierce.
Some changes to the coffee that dining services offer have been made. For example changing the “Cup of Joe” to a stronger brew, Pierce said.
“If the consumer says we can improve, we do,” said Pierce.
Annabelle Orlando is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at annabelle.orlando@uconn.edu.