coffee

Seasonal Drinks in Greensburg 

Posted on by gshslionsdenadmin

By: Ari Case 

From pumpkin spice to everything nice, seasonal menus bring holiday cheer to the GS community.  

Greensburg is home to many coffee shops and small businesses that embrace the seasons through special menus and promotional events.  

Of course, chains like Dunkin’ and Starbucks are consistently popularized during the fall and winter for their menu drops as well.  

“I like that they’re something different,” Starbucks enthusiast and band director Mrs. Jaime West said. “It gives you some variety so you’re not always drinking the same thing.” 

The fall menu dropped on Aug. 22 this year, bringing back the coveted pumpkin spice latte and new apple drinks many customers enjoyed. Starbucks made the winter menu available on Nov. 7 and is offering classics like the peppermint mocha alongside new concoctions. 

Mrs. West said her favorite drink so far is the iced gingerbread oatmilk chai, and that she is glad Starbucks is now offering more oat milk-based drinks. 

One of Starbucks’ biggest competitors, Dunkin’, dropped its fall and winter menus Aug. 28 and Nov. 1 respectively.  

Many students enjoy Dunkin’ during the school day, and the special menus have been a consistent hit—from a classic pumpkin spice latte to the returning cookie butter cold brew. 

“I love them!” senior Blanca Grillo said of the seasonal menus. “I couldn’t say how many [drinks] I’ve tried.” 

Although popular chains receive a lot of attention, there are many local options in Greensburg that can be just as buzz-worthy. 

“This seasonal approach is used to provide variety not only for customers, but [for] ourselves, and to create new joyful experiences all year round,” Cutie’s Coffee barista and GS alum Sara Thomas said. “This process is also a great way to bring in new customers and give returning ones something new to look forward to.” 

Cutie’s has special menu items and promotions like themed flights that change year-round. Grillo and junior Quinn Dieter have both enjoyed some seasonal drinks at Cutie’s and spoke highly of their experiences. 

Dieter also enjoys The White Rabbit Cafe and Patisserie, especially their pumpkin spice specials.  

“All of their desserts and coffees are just perfect,” she said. 

Another local spot, The Cattfeinated Cat Cafe, uses seasonal menus as creative expression for its baristas and new experiences for regular customers. 

A latte from The Cattfeinated Cat Cafe.

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Wertz

The cafe releases a new menu of specials every month and recently introduced seasonal drink flights as well. They also do themed fundraisers to benefit their rescue partner Wayward Whiskers. 

“I think that the seasonal menus are super great because we have customers return to the cafe repeatedly not only to see our cats and kittens, but also they look forward to our new ideas and creations,” barista and GS alum Taylor Wertz said. 

Another local shop, Steep Mountain Tea Company, is partnering with a rescue this holiday season. A portion of proceeds from one of their seasonal special drinks—Carl’s Christmas Chai—will go to the Great Pyrenees Rescue of Western PA.  

Steep Mountain has done seasonal menus for a few years now, and they’re always a hit among customers. 

“They have really good seasonal [menus] that [are] unique to them, and that you wouldn’t find anywhere else,” junior Ty Schlesman expressed. 

Many people enjoy seasonal menus for the holiday spirit they provide, including Steep Mountain co-owner Marcus Weakland. 

“For me, it has nothing to do with the business aspect,” Weakland explained. “My favorite part [of seasonal menus] is the nostalgia of the flavors. It just makes it feel like the holidays.” 

Both Weakland and Thomas expressed thanks to the Greensburg community for giving them the opportunity to share their passions and pursue what they love. 

Seasonal menus are consistently well-received by customers of both chains and local spots, and many, like Dieter, West and Schlesman await them every year. 

“I get really excited when they come out because there’s so many different [drinks] for the season, and there’s always one I love,” Schlesman said. 

Moe’s Grand Opening

Posted on by gshslionsdenadmin

by: Adison Poole 

Local residents woke up bright and early around the area to try to claim their spot in line for free burritos.  

On Friday, September 13, Moe’s Southwest Grill opened in North Huntington, PA. The grand opening offered a deal that gifted the first 50 customers free burritos for a year.  

GS seniors Josselyn Blawas and Ksena Spencer were among those first 50 customers and not only received a card for free burritos, but also treats from nearby businesses. 

Josselyn Blawas and Ksena Spencer hold their certificates for a year of free burritos.

Photo Courtesy: Ksena Spencer

“I did some research about when they would be opening and really just looking for information on the event,” Spencer said. “The Facebook post that I did find only had about 10 shares, so I wasn’t too stressed about being one of the top 50 in line.” 

Located at 714 Mills Drive, Moe’s shares a plaza with Tropical Smoothie Café and Crumbl Cookies. In honor of the grand opening, customers waiting outside received mini smoothies and cookies from the businesses.  

“Both Crumbl and Tropical Smoothie Café gave out free samples,” Spencer said. “Having Tropical Smoothie next to us was nice since they had a bathroom we were allowed to use.”  

Tropical Smoothie Café gives out free samples to people waiting in line.

Photo Courtesy: Ksena Spencer

Blawas was a big fan of the free goodies provided by the business and talked highly of the cookies in particular.  

“I got a peanut butter cookie from Crumbl,” Blawas said. “Which is my absolute favorite, so I was super excited.”  

Moe’s opened doors at 10:15 am but many were there hours before opening to claim their spot in line. Blawas and Spencer arrived at 7:00am and ended up being 20th and 21st in line.  

“Jossy and I were going to get there by 6:00am because of a Facebook post that Moe’s had made which hinted at opening at sunrise,” Spencer explained. “But Thursday night they put out a post saying they would open at 10:15am.” 

While only the first 50 people in line received the coupon for free burritos for a year, there were several other treats for those who missed the cutoff.  

“They had a wheel you could spin to earn a free bowl, discounted meal or shirt,” Spencer said. “I spun and got a shirt which I gave to my dad since he’s also a pretty big Moe’s fan.”  

To claim their spot in line, Blawas and Spencer thought they played it safe by arriving a few hours before the opening. Other customers made sure to be the first in line by showing up a whole night before.   

“The first people in line had been there since midnight; they had a whole setup of chairs and a table,” Spencer said.  

The new business is bringing even more life to such a popular plaza. The popularity of Moe’s was able to bring Greensburg students all the way out to Irwin. Businesses around not only treated Moe’s customers, but also welcomed them as the morning went on. 

“I think the other businesses were happy to see all the traffic the new restaurant was bringing to the area,” Spencer said.  

With the opening taking place on a Friday morning, many students in line missed out on class that day. Law and Economics teacher Mr. Mark Zahorchak knew about the opening and just encouraged Blawas to work on her homework in line.  

“I had no problem with it as long as Jossy took advantage of the fact that she could watch the videos and do the lesson online,” Mr. Zahorchak said. “It makes it a lot more acceptable to me.”   

It’s not everyday people get the chance to win free food for a year, so for Blawas and Spencer it was an exciting experience they won’t forget.  

“It’s not often that there are cool opportunities to win something like this near Greensburg,” Spencer said. “My parents thought it would be fun and encouraged me to go.”