By Stephanie Muschalik | Guest Contributor
As a coffee connoisseur myself, I was bursting with excitement when I learned a new coffee shop was hitting the Waco market. I find myself studying or spending quality time with people at a coffee shop 99% of the time. Although I am a loyalist to one coffee shop here, I wanted to explore new options and give the new place a chance.
Right off the bat, before even arriving at Be Kind Coffee, I was immediately captivated by the name. Coffee, to me, is so much more than just a physical drink. It is a way to experience quality time and community, while sitting in a local coffee shop and spending time with others, so the name seemed highly fitting.
The drive was slightly farther than most of the other coffee shops I go to, which are closer to campus, but it was not unbearable. It was roughly a 15-minute drive from campus to the shop which, in comparison, was further than I would want to go every day. If you are familiar with the Waco area, it was close to the Barnes & Noble on Waco Drive.
When I pulled up, I was immediately pleased to see a drive-thru option. As someone who is personally not the biggest fan of large chain drive-thru coffee shops, but needs the convenience of just a quick grab-and-go, this was appealing.
The shop connects to a larger market that serves road trip snacks, kolaches and many other trinkets when you walk inside. I also appreciated the vegan and gluten-free options at Be Kind.
I was pleased when I walked inside and saw the specialty latte options, with items such as a churro latte, a seasonal pumpkin spice latte and the signature drink, which I got, called the Bee Kind, a honey oat milk latte.
Since I like my coffee on the stronger side I added an extra espresso shot. I was looking forward to this latte but was somewhat disappointed when I could not taste the honey and felt that the coffee had more of a sour taste.
Personally, since I am loyal to many other coffee shops in Waco, I am not sure I would make many trips back, with the distance and the taste of the coffee. However, I loved the mission of practicing kindness, being environmentally friendly and still recommend everyone trying it and formulating an opinion for themselves.
