Walking through campus, it seems that every other student is clutching a Starbucks drink.

Maybe that’s what led to the idea that one of GW’s Starbucks’ is the highest grossing on the East Coast. While the lines are definitely long enough to make people start considering it, it turns out this potential bragging right is just not true.

GW’s Gelman Library Starbucks manager confirmed that the statement is “totally a rumor,” but said that Gelman’s Starbucks does have the highest sales rate in the entire D.C. area – and that’s out of 66 stores in the city and at least three within or nearby campus.

Sales are even higher this year because the Starbucks that used to be in J Street closed after Sodexho, GW’s new food-service provider, replaced it this year with a fair trade vendor, he said, asking not to be named because he is not a spokesman for the company.

Starbucks’ corporate office can’t help much to clear up the facts. A secretary for the company’s media relations department said that Starbucks does not release financial information about specific stores to the public, so there would be no way to settle the question.

While GW students may no longer be able to walk by their campus Starbucks and tell out-of-town friends, potential students or other visitors that our Starbucks makes the most dough on this side of the country, Gelman’s Starbucks manager said there is one thing he finds unique to his store – patrons there are crazy for fat-free and soy beverages.

“GW students consume far more soy than anyone at other Starbucks has even heard of,” he said.

Despite the truth, some students are still not going to drop the rumor. After all, it does give people standing in those long lines in the morning an excuse to wait.

“I believe it,” junior Ashley Newman said while standing in line at Starbucks last week. “It’s ridiculous. The line reaches up to the parking meters!”

-Nour Hammour

“What’s the deal with…” is a regular feature in the Life section. If you have an idea for the story, e-mail [email protected].