One thing about me is I am going to be late or right on time for school. This is my formal apology to my 1st block teachers: I’m, sorry…kinda. However, with the new early-out rule of only having a few tardies each quarter without getting my early-out revoked, hopefully, my mindset will change; we shall see. I refuse to cook breakfast or make my coffee. I will buy premade coffee or energy drinks, mainly Celsius, and recently have been loving Alix Earle’s Amino Lean energy drink. And as my continuous efforts to learn more about cooking have failed, well, stopping at Starbucks for a Bacon Gouda sandwich is just more efficient and enjoyable than me trying to make breakfast early in the morning. I live in North Mount Pleasant, which means I pass many and I mean many breakfast spots on my commute to school. 

Now you may be wondering, “Elaina how do you afford to get something before school?” Well, this comes with a few rules: number 1, I can only get a full breakfast (food and drink) once every two weeks; number 2, I can get a coffee or other drink 3 times in two weeks; and number 3, Friday treats are always allowed, no matter if I have already reached my two week limit. Also, I work 2 jobs so it is not too much of an economic burden on my wallet, however, I still need money for other important things like gas and shopping. I have a few favorites that are chains, but some are local chains in MTP, so my dearest apologies if you can’t get these before school. 

First up, Starbucks, a cult classic. Perfect for all of your early morning needs. If you’re a coffee drinker or want a different fun drink like tea or refresher, or even a good breakfast this is the place for you. Well, that is if you want to drop a pretty penny on your breakfast. I, like many people, do enjoy Starbucks occasionally, currently a little bit more since the fall season drinks and food are out, however, it’s definitely not a consistent stop for me. Starbucks is very efficient if you order it on the app before you leave your house. Unless you want to spend 10-15 minutes waiting for your order after you order it inside or at the drive-thru, I strongly recommend ordering on the app. And you get points for free things later on, a win-win situation if you ask me. I am a creature of habit and tend to get the same thing every time. Learn more about AMHS student’s Starbucks orders in Jordan Burell’s article!!!

Next up, Chick-fil-A. Another classic chain. And I am sure that many of you who go to AMHS pass a Chick-fil-A or two on your way to school in the mornings. Me personally, I have to be really hungry in the morning or have to be craving Chick-fil-A to stop here. I love a good Chicken mini meal with a Vanilla iced coffee, but usually, I end up only eating half, and sharing the rest with my friends, or eating it later for lunch or a snack in class. It’s definitely a pretty cheap option for breakfast though. You get an entre a side and a drink for about $10, whereas at Starbucks my favorite drink costs almost as much as a Chick-fil-A meal. Also, they are known for being quick so you don’t have to worry about being late if you want to stop in before school. 

Now, this is my favorite Bagel place in all of Charleston. Ruby’s Bagels. I LOVEEE this place. Their bagels are delicious and relatively cheap. This is a rare stop for me though since it is way off my route to school. However, when I find myself at the Works Mount Pleasant in the morning for an early morning class, I am definitely stopping here. As you can tell by the following images, my order typically consists of an everything bagel with some kind of cream cheese, vegetable is my favorite right now, or a bacon egg and cheese. I think there is only one location of Ruby’s in Charleston, so not convenient for all students at AMHS. But if you ever find yourself on Coleman Boulevard I would highly recommend stopping here for breakfast or a mid-day bagel. 

And finally, a new hidden gem I have discovered recently: Lodi coffee. The MTP location just opened a few months ago, however, there is also a North Charleston location. I tried Lodi Coffee for the first time this summer with my friend, and we loved it. I love that Lodi has a wide range menu; they have flavored lattes, coffee and espresso drinks, frappes, matcha, teas, lemonades, and food. And what I love the most is they have so many different flavors of cold foam. I have not gone here before school just yet, however, I need to. Lodi is right next to the 526 entrance ramp on Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant. But when there is a lot of traffic on 526 in the morning, I can just continue down 17 a few more miles and take the Ravenel Bridge and 26 to school. They are also very quick to make your drink and are only drive-thru so you don’t even have to get out of your car. The employees are so kind too, they have all customers try their drink before you leave and if you don’t like it, they will remake it for you, free of charge. This is definitely a place I am definitely going to start going to more, maybe this will be my Friday morning treat stop. 

So to our new wave of student drivers at Magnet this year, I hope that if you do stop before school, you leave early enough. Being on time for school is very important. And do not go every day or every other day, your wallet will thank me and you later. Finally, learn how to cook or ask your parents to buy you coffee or energy drinks you can keep at home, to hopefully discourage you from buying one in the mornings.