Spending serious amounts of money a week going to Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, or other coffee shops is a trend among many teens.  You constantly see students arriving to class with coffee and other iced beverages. However, few realize how much money they spend a week on coffee until their bank accounts are run dry.  

To tap into this demand, the FCHS cafeteria has brought a “Coffee Coolers” beverage option to their breakfast menu.  They are starting with three flavors. Mocha and caramel are two popular flavors among coffee producers and manufacturers, while the cafeteria’s third option, S’mores, is more unique.  Students may purchase a 13 oz. Coffee Cooler as part of their breakfast meal for $1.50 or $0.30 for reduced lunch. “I had the Mocha flavor and it was very sweet, so it depends on how sweet you like your coffee,” said junior Grace Lintecum.

These coffee coolers have an unusual element: yogurt.  According to Cafeteria Manager Sheri Casero, the ingredients include yogurt infused with the coffee, flavoring, and milk, making the drinks not only cheaper, but healthier than other coffee drinks. “The Mocha version tastes like a Dunkin Donuts coffee,” said senior Nicolai Stephens.

The beverages were introduced on March 2, with free samples handed out on Feb. 28.  On the first day of sales, the cafeteria staff made 32 drinks and sold all of them very quickly.  Since then, they have increased their stock to better prepare for the demand of the students. Throughout the first week of the new item, they’ve been consistently selling out rapidly.  “I have not heard anything so far about how the coffee tastes, but we sold out on both our line and cart,” said Casero.  

The Coffee Coolers price is less than what you’d pay for a comparable Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks drink, so time will tell if this is one Fluco breakfast food that is here to stay.