Terry and Jo’s Food for Thought, home of fresh and organic dining options just blocks from campus, will be expanding its restaurant to offer a selection of grocery items in the coming weeks.
While Food for Thought already sells popcorn and cereal in addition to its menu of burritos, nachos and smoothies, the local restaurant will soon add organic produce, farm fresh eggs, milk and other groceries to its stock.
The grocery section will be added to the restaurant’s front room, on the other side of the half-wall that greets customers as they enter the restaurant.
“I really expect that it’s going to be full-blown by the start of the next semester,” said Terry Otto, the owner of Food for Thought.
The addition comes in response to the dearth of organic and healthy foods in Waco, Otto said. After the H-E-B at 1102 Speight Ave., right across the street from Food for Thought, closed its doors in 2013, Otto said there have been limited food options for the neighborhood that is expanding around Baylor’s campus.
“We’re adding the groceries because there are so many people coming to this neighborhood, and they have to go to the H-E-B [at 1821 S. Valley Mills Dr.] for food,” Otto said. “And if you ever go to that H-E-B in the middle of the day, it’s just so crowded.”
While fresh, local produce is available at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market Saturdays and seasonally on Tuesdays, there is not a dedicated store for organic and health foods in the Waco area.
“We don’t really have an outlet for organic produce, which I think is really important because so many foods are chemically altered,” said Redondo Beach, Calif., sophomore Tayler Berman. “Just the fact that Food for Thought is adding organic groceries is awesome. That’s something that I and other Baylor students will definitely take advantage of, once the word gets out.”
Food for Thought, which is owned by Otto and Jo Dove, has always specialized in offering healthy and alternative dining options, including vegetarian and vegan dishes with an emphasis on organic ingredients. The restaurant sources ingredients from local food distributors like Homestead Heritage, and bulk ingredients come from a national organic food distributor. The grocery section will reflect a similar range of food products, with bread from Homestead Heritage and local produce.
“We look forward to getting to serve the Baylor community,” Otto said.
