A shiney Einstein Bros. Bagels opened in the Donaghey shopping center at the corner of Donaghey and Bruce street. It replaced the previous urban coffee seller, Blue Sail Coffee over summer 2018.
Many students, including myself, were curious as to the thought process of putting in a second Einstein Bagels although there was already one in the Student Center.
I presumed the duplicate location to be a tad redundant on the university’s end and a loss opportunity to bring in fresh start-up shops like the previous Blue Sail Coffee.
However, the Donaghey shops have the advantage of their optimal location for students. They are across the street from the Thompson building, where students on this end of campus have access to recently updated computers and the CWC writing center. So, studying students have less of a walk to computer access than the library.
Upon entering the new Einstein’s I could immediately see the extensive space enhancement versus the sister location in the Student Center. There is plenty of room for students to study, have lunch and hangout.
I saw multiple students gathering before class in the spacious sitting area filled with chairs and tables they have available. There are also tables outside for those sunny days where it would be a crime to sit indoors while binging on your favorite Netflix show.
From what I could tell, the menu is the same, as one would expect from a franchise.
Their bagels, shmear and coffee selection proved diverse for the most part.
However, their selection in sugar free options and drink sizes are lacking in comparison to their competitor, Starbucks. I ordered a medium sugar free vanilla iced coffee with almond milk and a plain bagel with regular shmear.
Considering I am diabetic, I was disappointed that their sugar-free option was vanilla.
In comparison, Starbucks has at least three other options for sugar free coffee lovers.
However, with Starbucks closed temporarily in the library, Einstein’s has become the main hub of caffeine fixes on campus. Unless a student was desperate enough to make the long drive down Donaghey to the off-campus Starbucks.
The company’s prices are similar, though the environment is superior at the Donaghey Einstein’s. There is an abundance of space available for students to spread out, versus the previously cramped Starbucks in the library.
However, the ongoing renovations could bode well for Starbucks regarding their special dynamics.
Starbucks did surpass Einstein’s in the aspect of rapid preparation of food and drinks. My first experience with the new Einstein’s did not impress, as it took close to fifteen minutes to get a coffee and a bagel.
It was still early and there were only a handful of other customers in the building. Though I wasn’t late to class, I had never had this problem with the Starbucks in the library. Considering the staff was friendly and accommodating, I gave them some leeway and accredited their sluggish movement to their recent opening.
So, if you plan on making a stop in for a quick grab-and-go make sure to leave yourself at least 10 minutes to receive your food and coffee.
Though, regarding strictly flavor, their iced coffee and bagels with schmear were tasty enough for me to return the very next day with a severe craving for more.
