It began with just vending machines that offered Starbucks coffee, oversold and always sparse. This was until the 2018 to 2019 school year when the first TP Coffee House opened. Similarly to the current concept of the TP Coffeehouse, the partnership with Buddy Brew Coffee existed, but the current TP Coffeehouse has been updated greatly. 

“But, I think [we] lacked in the branding department because Instagram was not as prominent, but now, we use a lot of marketing to get business,” Maddie Vercher ‘23 said.

Over the years that have passed since the 2018 to 2019 school year, Instagram has grown more popular and has since been used for marketing for the TP Coffeehouse. The TP Coffeehouse’s IG includes feature posts dedicated to the managers of it, and it includes a story where the customers can be photographed with their orders. On top of the improved social media engagement, the TP Coffeehouse also now comes with a range of benefits to those who work for it, such as service hours.

 “The TP Coffeehouse is a charity that provides money for scholarships for students and service hours for Bright Futures,” Seth Black Diamond ‘24 said.

By earning enough service hours, other students can also receive scholarships through Bright Futures. The money does not entirely go into the supplies for the TP Coffeehouse.

“Money goes towards a scholarship for future Prep students to have access to,” Vercher said.

The biggest advantage of the TP Coffeehouse is its proximity of it to students. Rather than wait in long lines at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, students can easily get coffee and other items from the school, with locally brewed coffee (Buddy Brew Coffee). In addition, the TP Coffeehouse gives back to Prep by supporting future students by raising money for scholarships to come to Prep and through the assistance it gives to current Prep students involved in school events, such as for those in the play when their practices run late.

“[The TP Coffeehouse] is able to provide drinks for the Tech Crew when they stay late (for the plays). Also, money is given back to the Terp Concession Stand,” Black Diamond said.

Through all the different ways the TP Coffeehouse gives back to Prep, the TP Coffeehouse differs from Starbucks. From the service hours, it offers to students involved in it to being able to provide drinks for those involved in the extracurricular activities Prep offers, the TP Coffeehouse proves to be the better choice for Prep students.

“There are things the TP Coffeehouse does that Starbucks cannot,” Black-Diamond said,

 When students find themselves in need of coffee or snacks to start the day with, the TP Coffeehouse located in the Student Center and open from 8:00 AM to 8:40 AM, is the perfect go-to place.