By Avery Ballmann | Staff Writer
In under a year and a half, the owners of Be Kind Coffee, Alex Sanchez and Will Suarez, created two locations serving the west and downtown areas of Waco. Their mission of spreading kindness to campus is currently in the works.
Be Kind Coffee is preparing its food truck to be able to travel to campus and other Waco areas this fall. Sanchez noticed their customer base was not composed of Baylor students, even though Waco is a college town.
“The Baylor population is an untapped market for us,” Sanchez said. “So to us, it made sense to do our best to do more outreach on campus.”
Be Kind Coffee is now an official vendor which means they are allowed to cater, have pop-ups and take their truck to different parts of campus. Their first large-scale event was during Welcome Week, where they pre-made 70 lattes and 70 cookies.
“When you open a business you don’t know if anyone is going to respond and actually show up,” Sanchez said. “To me, every single day, anytime someone reaches out to us or if one person buys a latte. That’s a super special feeling.”
Since opening their Lake Air and Union Hall locations, Be Kind has received feedback from customers about their want for catering and a mobile style of their business.
Cedar Park sophomore Alex Leschber first visited Be Kind’s Union Hall location and once she tried their Buttercup Latte, she said she knew this business was amazing.
“I can see myself going there and getting a coffee and it making me happier,” Leschber said.
Not only will students be able to grab a drink while walking to class, but student organizations and other groups on campus are now able to see themselves with Be Kind Coffee at their meetings and events through catering.
According to Baylor’s Official Catering Policy, students who want to cater with Be Kind Coffee must fill out an Exception to Event Request Guidelines form in Connect to request consideration three weeks in advance of the event. Leschber is involved in Interior Design at Baylor and Music & Memory, she said she thinks it would be cool to have Be Kind Coffee cater one of her organization’s events.
“Sometimes we have club meetings and I think it would draw more people in,” Leschber said. “Also it would add something fun to have during the meeting.”
All catering orders through Be Kind Coffee are completely customizable with options for different lattes and food items. Inspired by Sanchez’s fiance, their menu can be entirely made vegan friendly to adhere to people’s dietary needs.
“I wanted to create a place where my fiance could feel comfortable walking into every single day ordering something off the menu and not being afraid of one, if she can’t have it or two, being too scared to ask what’s in something,” Sanchez said. “We try to create a very welcoming and friendly environment where we’re happy to answer any questions that anyone has and cater to their needs.”
Be Kind Coffee’s mission statement is apparent in its menu options and branding, but especially in how they interact with their customers.
“I think it’s a really nice atmosphere,” Leschber said. “All of the workers are always super welcoming and like to know about your day and how you’re doing, and I think it’s just a good vibe overall.”
When Be Kind Coffee opened its doors in 2021 at the height of the pandemic they wanted to make the world not seem like a dark place, Sanchez said they wanted to spread kindness.
“It’s scary out there,” Sanchez said. “It’s a big world, but we’ll be nice to you.”
The truck has no set schedule on what days they will be on campus, but once the truck is complete they will start slow and grow their presence from there. To stay updated, follow their Instagram.
“That time in your life [college] is a very tumultuous time, there’s a lot of change going on, the world is a very scary place,” Sanchez said. “I think it’s a great time to solidify in not just college students’ minds, but in everyone’s minds that the world can be a kind place if you seek it out.”
