What's The Best Time To Grab Coffee At Starbucks?

Whether you're going to Starbucks for a quick caffeine fix or just to get out of the house, it's helpful to know which hours of the day are ideal for visiting your local store. Try to skip buying coffee on your way to work during the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays since it's brutal for everyone involved. Workers are often scrambling to pump out mobile orders, stay on top of the drive-thru line, and tend to their customers in the lobby, all of whom are on a strict time crunch. On top of that, these customers are more likely to order multiple drinks for coworkers or breakfast items that require time in the oven.

This creates longer wait times and can be a stressful way to start your morning. Arriving well before this rush at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. may be inconvenient, but it's a great time to grab your coffee. Another busy time for Starbucks stores is weekday afternoons around 2 or 3 p.m. since this is when most students get out of school. To avoid the chaos, waiting until 4:30 or 5 p.m. on weekdays to grab your coffee is a better choice.

One Reddit user and former Starbucks employee also noted that their store would get a lunch rush at noon that typically lasted for about an hour during weekdays. Logically, these busy windows make sense because they're centered around meal or snack times. Therefore, if you choose to partake during a rush, just know that your order may take a while.

Once you've figured out when your local Starbucks is busy, it's easy to work backward and find its slower times. Late weekday mornings around 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. are usually pretty calm after the morning rush. Similarly, late Sunday mornings are ideal since they avoid those early family outings and the post-church crowd. Most people agree that Saturdays are busy all day long, so if you need a weekend pick-me-up, you might want to skip the Starbucks drive-thru, as it will probably have a long, slow line.

Since every Starbucks location is different, you may have to try out a few time windows to see what works for you. If you really want to streamline your coffee experience, though, ordering ahead in the app is a great Starbucks hack you need to try.