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A Look at the Top 10 Most Caffeinated Cities in America

  • ezCater
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  • 3 Min Read
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Ahhh … coffee, the modern-day equivalent of the gods’ ambrosia. Unlike Zeus’ drink of choice, coffee doesn’t bestow immortality. It does, however, seem to have the superpower of getting a lot of us up out of bed and ready to face the day. In fact, more than half the country – 150 million Americans – drink an average of three cups of “Joe” each day. And that’s just in America. 

September 29th is National Coffee Day. What better time to pay homage to this magical elixir of caffeinated bliss? 

From coast to coast, coffee has earned its place in the hearts and morning routines of so many movers and shakers. Here are the 10 cities that order coffee catering the most:

  1. Atlanta, GA
  2. Philadelphia, PA
  3. New York, NY
  4. Chicago, IL
  5. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL
  6. Houston, TX
  7. Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
  8. Dallas, TX
  9. Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA
  10. Washington, DC

And what’s in their cups? While we have thousands of coffee options across the country, these ezCater restaurant partners see the highest overall volume of coffee orders:

  1. Einstein Bros. Bagels 
  2. Jason’s Deli 
  3. IHOP
  4. Corner Bakery
  5. Chick-fil-A
  6. McAlister’s Deli
  7. Manhattan Bagel
  8. Metro Diner
  9. The Flying Biscuit Cafe 
  10. Bob Evans Restaurant 

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t throw in an honorable mention for Dunkin’, and the large percentage of the population that does, in fact, run on them. 

But what is it that makes coffee the go-to pick-me-up for so many? Turns out that humanity’s love affair with the coffee bean goes back a long, long way.  

As the story goes, it was an Abyssinian goat herder named Kaldi who discovered the coffee berries back in 850 A.D. Kaldi introduced the magic beans to the monks in a nearby monastery, who roasted the beans, crushed them, and poured water over them to make what must have been a pretty rough first cup of java. Despite their barbaric preparation methods, the coffee craze soon swept through other parts of Asia and Africa. 

It wasn’t until 1599 that coffee hit the continent , arriving in Europe via Italy.  And it apparently took almost another decade before the stuff reached the New World, some say compliments of Captain John Smith. (Though some historians believe Canada can lay claim to an earlier arrival.) 

Since those early days, coffee has become increasingly sophisticated along with the people who drink it. Today, a cup of coffee is judged on four distinct elements: aroma, body, acidity, and flavor. And each of those elements is affected by many factors including the bean itself, how it’s roasted, and—ultimately—how it’s brewed.

Coffee aficionados can talk for ages about the finer points of a particular bean or roast. And people can become pretty passionate about what makes the best cup of coffee.  Dave Barry’s hysterical 1997 essay, “Decaf Poopacino” is still a classic when it comes to just how crazy people can get about their coffee. (The essay describes the world’s most expensive coffee – luwak coffee – which is made from beans that have been digested by the Asian palm civet, an animal that resembles a weasel.)

Joking aside, it turns out that coffee may actually have some health benefits beyond simply allowing us to function on any given day. Studies published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases found that coffee may lower the risk of death and cardiovascular disease, especially for people with type 2 diabetes (as well as Parkinson’s Disease and various liver conditions).

Iced Coffee

In fact, after decades of being considered a “bad” habit and even a possible carcinogen, coffee is finally being recognized as something that can be good for us. 2015 was the first time that the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines included moderate coffee drinking as part of a healthy diet. And, across the pond, in 2017 the British Medical Journal published similar findings, noting that most of the time coffee is associated with a health benefit rather than harm. 

Interestingly, coffee may also help extend the feline lifespan. The world’s two oldest kitties (according to the Guinness Book of Records) both drank coffee every morning as part of their breakfast routine. Their owner, Jake Perry, served the coffee alongside eggs, turkey bacon, and broccoli. Lucky cats! 

So, when you’re planning your next breakfast meeting, be sure to remember the coffee. And you don’t have to feel guilty about getting enough so everyone can have an extra cuppa – after all, it’s good for you!