It’s hard enough to make it to class at 8 a.m.; it becomes even harder when the temperature is in the single digits. Knowing what coffee place to go to every morning can help students wake up and stay awake, even during that boring lecture. Here’s how the local coffee shops around campus stack up.

Dunkin’ Donuts (S. Crouse Ave.)Coffee: At $1.33 for a small, this coffee won’t drive you to the poorhouse. A regular coffee comes with a little too much cream and sugar, and the final product is about what would be expected of chain coffee. Food: With 22 doughnut flavors, 12 different types of bagels and 16 varieties of muffins and specialty foods, Dunkin’ Donuts corners the market in terms of selection. Despite the number of choices, the quality is sub par.Service: The cashiers are friendly and make the coffee and food quickly, but there was not an abundance of smiles or conversations between the workers and the customers. Atmosphere: Surprisingly, a nice place to sit and read or do work. Music plays lightly in the background, and overall it is a peaceful area to sit.

LaTazzaCoffee: Quite rich and flavorful. Even the small size comes in a fairly large cup and only costs $1.30. The quaint coffee shop has a multitude of specialty coffees and herbal teas.Food: The waffles could be the best breakfast food in town. Customers can choose from 13 different toppings and 10 types of batter in their waffles. The menu also offers great egg sandwiches and paninis. Service: The cashiers greet all the customers with a smile and are extremely friendly. They even said goodbye to everyone who walked out, thanking them for coming. Atmosphere: The coffee house provides free wireless Internet, and has comfy chairs and couches all over the place. Cool pictures and records adorn the walls and great music plays in the background.

StarbucksCoffee: The regular coffee is surprisingly not that expensive, coming in at $1.35 for a small, but it is a little strong for the average drinker. The large variety of specialty coffees can be as expensive as $3.25 for a small.Food: There’s a collection of cookies, muffins and coffee cakes. The variety is not as good as Dunkin’ Donuts, but the quality is far superior.Service: They may look at you a little weird if you ask for a medium instead of a grande. They make everything extremely fast, so it feels like a coffee assembly line.Atmosphere: It is impossible to think with the mass amounts of people running in and out and screaming at everyone they know. It is best to grab your coffee and bolt.

People’s PlaceCoffee: For $0.60 per cup, this is actually very good coffee. People’s Place doesn’t offer many varieties in its flavors, but gets bonus points for naming a drink ‘Austin Powers.’Food: There is an assortment of baked goods, but some are a day old (thankfully, they don’t cost as much). Some of the foods are mixed together and do not look appetizing.Service: The cashiers are quick and friendly, but when the morning rush is in full swing they don’t have time to be talkative.Atmosphere: Instead of tables and chairs, People’s Place has pews to sit on. What do you expect when it’s in the basement of a chapel?

OverallLaTazza: It’s not even close. When you can drink quality coffee, eat great food, listen to relaxing music and do your homework all in one place, there may never actually be a reason to leave.