🪑 Does Waco Have a Seat for Everyone?

Good morning, Waco. This is The Waco Buzz, the local newsletter that's about as predictable as your house shaking when SpaceX tests another rocket.

In today's Sunday Sip:
🪑 Does Waco Have a Seat at the Table?
📅 3 Events to Circle This Week
🍷 Featured Event: Woodway Wine & Food Fest
🏡 Home of the Week: 5839 S 3rd Street Rd
🍕 Food Review: Lucky Buck's Pizza
📝 Good Life in Waco: 26 Year Old Nonprofit Leader

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

- Sam Harper

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I’ve been thinking about all the construction, development, and temporary disruption around Waco lately. There are roads torn up, buildings going up, businesses opening, neighborhoods changing, and plenty of orange barrels reminding us that Waco doesn't stay the same for very long.

It got me thinking about something I’ve been thinking about Waco: this place is a bit of a group project. People are starting businesses. They're putting their names forward for local boards and commissions. They're organizing, volunteering, building things, and showing up to help shape what Waco becomes.

Right now, city board and commission seats are open, which means there are actual seats at the table waiting for people to pull up a chair. Waco was recently ranked the 14th-best place in the country to start a business.

That's what I mean when I call Waco a group project. There is room to participate, and there is still plenty to build.

To me, that's part of what makes Waco worth showing up for. The people who get the most out of this place often seem to be the ones willing to become part of the project.

Here's the question I keep coming back to: If the door really is open, why does it feel easier to walk through for some people than others?

Waco is changing. The question is whether everyone feels like they have a hand in shaping what it becomes. So I don't want this to just be my opinion.

Does Waco feel like a group project you get to shape, or does it feel like decisions get made without you?

Vote below, and if you've got a minute, hit reply and tell me why. The best responses might make it into a future article.

Whether you've been here for decades, helped build something, or you're still trying to figure out where you fit, I want to know how Waco actually feels from where you stand.

Thanks for being a part of the project.

Take a trip around the world without leaving Woodway. Sample wines from Texas, California, France, Spain and Italy, paired with bites from six local restaurants, plus live music and art from the Art Center of Waco. General admission is $55 and includes eight wine samples. Or grab a VIP table for eight for $550, with all 10 wines, reserved seating, charcuterie and a surprise gift.

Saturday, Sept. 12 | 6–9 PM | The Pavilion at the Carleen Bright Arboretum | 21+ |
👉 Grab tickets here.*

Thursday night just got a little better. The Levitt AMP Waco Concert Series is back with free outdoor concerts at Bridge Street Plaza. Bring a blanket, grab dinner from a food truck, and settle in for some live music. The price is right: free.
More info here.

Sept. 10-12 | The Barnett's Whiskey House patio | 21+
Think you’ve got what it takes to be Waco’s shuffleboard champion? Three nights, 64 players and one bracket to settle it. The winner gets a trip to Belgium, courtesy of Stella Artois. If you like a little competition, this is a fun way to spend Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Signup details here.

Saturday, Sept. 12 | 7 PM | McLane Stadium (ESPN+)
After opening the season against Auburn, Baylor plays at home this Saturday. The Bears take on Prairie View A&M in the first-ever meeting between the two programs, with tickets starting at just $11. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night in Waco.

🍳 Extra Because It's Awesome: Only five seats left for Cooking with Cultures: Interior Mexico Cuisine happening this Tuesday, 5:30 PM, at Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center. A hands-on class exploring Interior Mexican cuisine through an immersive lab, then cooking a recipe from the region.

Welcome to Home of the Week at 5839 S 3rd St. We’ll give you a few clues, let you guess what you think it’s listed for, then you can check to see if you’re right.

This week's pick sits on 4.88 acres just outside town, built in 2020, with room to spread out in every direction.

👉 Take your best guess at the list price, then peek at the answer here.

Ready to explore this home in person?
Connect with Lezlie Roark for your private tour.

Good Life in Waco is our series on how real Wacoans build a life here: what you earn, how you're saving, what you've learned about money and health in this city.

Age: “26”

Job: “Nonprofit”

Why Waco: “I’ve loved the city’s growth. I’ve tried to leave more than once but truly… there’s no place like home.”

Income: “60k-ish.”

Career advice: “Don’t be afraid to use your network to switch jobs. Don’t get stuck where you don’t have a good path of growth or not making enough monetarily but enjoying the job.”

Side income: “Social media, it’s pretty small.. estimate $50-100 a month if I’m marketing correctly.”

Housing: She owns a $176K home with a monthly payment under $1,400. “I wish I’d got a newer home but I love the projects this house gives me just not the ones where I have to pay big businesses a ton!” Her advice for buyers: “In this market, I’d be patient.. think of the growth and get everything you want and desire not settling. Use the programs locally for buyers and find a great lender!”

Favorite expense: “Convenience of the Ring doorbell!”

Most annoying expense: “Pest control, we don’t always see the evidence of their work but not seeing is a good thing!”

Financial freedom: “I think 80-100k is when I’ll be comfortable! ... definitely out of all debt then.”

Worst money decision: “Not getting a newer built home.. blessing and a curse.”

Financial goal: “Pay down 3k in debt by December”

Taking care of herself: “Making sure I’m reading my Bible daily. Monthly pedicures! Adding massages soon!”

Worth-the-money restaurant: “Pignettis - lobster ravioli and one of their amazing cocktails”

What she knows now: “Don’t be afraid to job hop..”

👉 Got a Waco money story worth sharing? Share it anonymously.

What it is: The Texas Twinkie, a New York slice loaded with smoked brisket, jalapeños, bacon, a rich cheese blend, and a barbecue-honey glaze that leans into the jalapeño popper flavor it's named for.

The verdict: No flop on a slice that stacked, and the undercarriage was charred exactly right. Waco's needed another great NY slice spot, and this fills the gap. I paired it with a spicy vodka Detroit-style square, which held its own.

Corey MacIntyre, chef-owner of Red Herring and Milo, happened to be there and told me the Texas Twinkie is his personal favorite. Good enough endorsement for me.

I also didn’t leave without grabbing a few cannoli, which naturally brought to mind one of my favorite lines from The Godfather: “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”

What to order: Texas Twinkie NY Slice

Where: Lucky Buck's Pizza

Cost: $5 a slice, and it'll fill you up. Full pies are massive.

🤔 Know a Waco spot I should try next? Hit reply and let me know.

🤖 AI Is Either Your Problem or Your Advantage. YOU × AI Summit is September 12 at PACC, built for entrepreneurs and small-business owners who want to figure out which one it is. 23 practitioners. Four tracks. Hands-on workshops. You'll hear what people are actually doing with AI, then get your hands on it yourself.

🍴 Want to Meet New People? Dinner Club is back September 17. Take a quiz, go to dinner with five strangers across Waco, and meet others at the after party. It's one of our favorite nights of the month.

🧠 A Night for Curious People: Social Studies is back with Baylor Master Teacher Dr. Andy Hogue on September 24. He teaches philanthropy, social innovation and politics, and has spent his career helping students figure out how to make the world around them better. This time, he's tackling the “Era of Seductive Despair” and asking a pretty interesting question: when the problems facing our city and world feel too big to fix, how do we stay engaged as citizens? Grab a drink, bring your brain, and come think about it with a room full of curious Wacoans.

✨ For a Skin Refresh: Skin & Body Refinery offers HydraFacials that combine deep cleansing, gentle extraction, hydration and LED light therapy. The goal: smoother, more hydrated skin with a healthy glow, without a lot of downtime.*

🚗 Silverado Selldown: Chevy of West is putting some serious numbers on 2026 Silverado 1500s right now: 0% APR for 5 years for well-qualified buyers, or $6,000 cash allowance plus another $2,000 bonus cash on select models. A pretty good time to take a look.

🔴 Try Waco's Full-Body Red Light Bed: Waco Bodymend has a TheraLight 360+ Bed that surrounds you in red and near-infrared light in a private treatment room. It's designed to support muscle recovery, circulation, sleep, skin health and overall wellness. You can book a single session or go unlimited for the month.*

🎨 Last Call for Pottery Night: Pottery Night with The Waco Buzz is September 26 at Outpost Pottery. BYOB, make something, and hang out. We're down to the last few tickets.

Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something useful, send it to the family member who leaves every lamp on in the house. You know exactly who.