Four times a week, Be Kind Coffee brings together runners of different ages and experience levels, giving them a place to meet, exercise and spend time together after their runs.
The run club, started three years ago by co-owner Alex Sanchez, has become one of the ways the Washington Avenue coffee shop sets itself apart from other businesses in Waco.
“You go to some bigger cities and you'll see run clubs attached to restaurants or coffee shops or breweries and stuff like that,” Sanchez said. “That didn't exist in Waco.”
The club now attracts everyone from middle school cross-country runners and Baylor students to people in their 50s and 60s.
“We have people who bring their kids sometimes,” Sanchez said. “There's a big blend of people who will come.”
For Sanchez, the run club is an extension of the business's larger goal of creating an accessible and welcoming space. Participants receive 20% off after running, and the coffee shop gives them somewhere to gather afterward.
“You can meet anywhere sometimes, but you need a place to have the post-run stuff,” Sanchez said.
The run club is just one of several ways Be Kind Coffee tries to bring people together. The shop hosts events that go beyond the typical coffee shop calendar, including a Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest and an annual Labor Day race around the building, where anyone who runs a mile receives a free drink.
Sanchez said he enjoys coming up with events that are different from what people might expect.
“I like to have fun,” Sanchez said. “One of my rules here and for everyone that works here is if we're not having fun, then work sucks.”
That same approach carries into the shop's menu. Be Kind Coffee makes its syrups in-house and offers both traditional coffee and specialty drinks, including its most popular drink, the churro latte, and its signature Bee Kind latte, made with honey and oat milk.
The business also offers vegan-friendly baked goods, including cookies, banana bread and muffins. Sanchez said that decision was partly inspired by his fiancée, who was vegan when the business first started.
“I wanted to create a space that she could walk into and get whatever she wanted,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez first began developing the coffee shop in January 2021, hoping to create a brand centered on positivity and acceptance. The business initially operated as a drive-through on the side of a meat market before moving into Union Hall and eventually opening its current Washington Avenue location.
After more than five years in business, Sanchez said community involvement remains one of the biggest priorities.
“I try to involve the community. I like to host community events and unique ones,” Sanchez said.