Waco broke a record 🌡️

Good morning, Waco. This is The Waco Buzz, the local newsletter that's here to help you remember today is St. Patrick's Day before you leave the house.

— Sam Harper

There's a misconception that living near some of Waco’s best shopping means sacrificing peace and quiet. The Residence at Central Texas Marketplace is here to debunk that.

While the location puts everything from HEB to Cottonwood Creek Golf Couse at your doorstep, the community itself is tucked away among lush greenbelts. It’s the kind of place where you can catch a morning workout in the fitness center, hit the business lounge for a few hours of work, and be at any Baylor game within a few miinutes.

Nine-foot ceilings, contemporary finishes, built-in desks in select homes, and a dog wash on site because your roommate deserves an upgrade too. If you’re looking for a launchpad that feels like a retreat, this is it.

👉 Book a tour of The Residence Looking for something else in Waco? Browse all RPM Living properties here.
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This past Saturday hit 92°F and broke the record high for the date. Sunday night a cold front rolled in and now we are in the low 30s. Today's high is 65 with a low of 35 tonight, so the jacket stays on a little longer. Sunny skies are on the way later this week, and spring officially arrives on Friday. Layers today.

Waco → Colorado Springs for $258 round-trip

While half of Texas is seemingly stuck in a TSA line in Austin or DFW for spring break, you can get through security at the Waco airport in about five minutes. This week's find: roundtrip to Colorado Springs on American Airlines for as low as $258 this summer. See Flight Deal →*

If this flight deal caught your eye, Denae at Traveluxe can handle the flights, hotels, and insider perks at no cost to you. Just email [email protected] and she’ll take it from there. ✈️
*_{^{Price is subject to change and may no longer be available at the time you check the link.}}

🐶 Mutt Madness — Registration Closes Thursday at Noon

We already have 20 dogs entered and every single one of them is a heart-melter. Registration closes Thursday, March 19 at noon as voting starts Friday, so this is your last chance to get in the bracket.

The rules are simple. This is a March Madness-style bracket to crown Waco's cutest pup. A $15 entry fee (which supports Fuzzy Friends Rescue) gets your dog in. Half the field gets eliminated each round.

Last pup standing wins a full year of dog treats from Woof Gang Bakery, a $50 gift card to Wags Pet Spa, a Family Pack meal from Frenchie Daddy French Toast, and a free yard scoop from Scoopy Doo Waco.

We're proud to have the official vet of The Waco Buzz, Ranch House Pet-Med, as the presenting sponsor of Mutt Madness alongside Scoopy Doo Waco. 👉 Enter Your Dog Here

🍕 Pizza Ranch Is Coming to Waco
If you didn't grow up in Iowa, Minnesota, or Wisconsin, you may not know Pizza Ranch, but you're about to. It's a massive pizza and fried chicken buffet chain with over 100 locations across the Midwest, and they just announced they're coming to Waco. They're going into the old True Value Hardware space next to Hobby Lobby. Expect them open by the time school starts in the fall.

🥃 Bosque Spirits Is Getting a Third Location
Bosque Spirits is taking over the former Pickup Outfitters building off Lake Air by Barnes & Noble with a $750,000 renovation that gives them their largest space yet. The two existing locations at 7321 Bosque Blvd. and 225 La Salle Ave. stay open. Doors on the new spot are aiming for an August 1 opening.

☕ 7 Brew Keeps Multiplying
Last week I told you about a new 7 Brew going in off Valley Mills and before the ink was even dry, another one popped up. A $1.5M new construction project is registered at 100 S New Road, next to Peter Piper Pizza in the former title building. Reminder that the location next to Hobby Lobby is set to open on March 25.

🏥 Solutions Chiropractic Opens at 1400 Elm Ave
The old fire station near Jasper's BBQ has a new life. Solutions Chiropractic, led by Dr. Daniel Creed Caraway, is now open inside the restored building.

🍝 Portofino's Is for Sale
Portofino's has been a downtown Waco staple since 2014 and brings in close to $840,000 in annual revenue. The owner is stepping away for personal family reasons and is looking for the right person to take it over. If you've ever thought about owning an Italian restaurant, this one already has everything built in along with nearly 900 Google reviews. 👉 See the listing here

The biggest item on tonight's City Council agenda: a $6M incentive package for Gross-Yowell, the Waco-founded lumberyard and building materials supplier that's been here for 80 years. They're planning a $10.9M expansion at 2701 Texas Central Pkwy. An 80-year-old Waco business doubling down on Waco is worth celebrating.

Council is also voting on another $1.69M for downtown redevelopment near City Hall. This is Phase 1 money for Barron's Branch and Heritage Square updates. Alamo Structural Steel is eyeing 1300 Franklin Ave with a $3.8M redevelopment as well.

Also on the agenda: updates to the Yard Waste Program and residential pickup routes, and a small water rate adjustment starting April 1 when the monthly admin fee goes from $30 to $31.

See full agenda.

Three things coming up that I'm putting together. I hope to see you at one of them.

The Founders' Smoke — March 18 A gathering for founders, investors, and entrepreneurs actively shaping Downtown Waco. Free to attend, but you have to register. This Wednesday, 5–6:30 PM at Humidor on Austin. Register here

🍽 Waco Buzz Dinner Club — March 25 Take the quiz, get matched with five other Waco Buzz members, and come out to meet some new friends. By popular request, you can now bring a plus one — spouse, friend, or significant other welcome. Optional after party details will be shared at dinner.👉 Grab your seat here.

🎓 Social Studies — April 9 with Dr. Leslie Hahner Propaganda & Persuasion: From WWII to Right Now. A world-class lecture in an unexpected location with food, drinks, and a room full of people who want to think and talk about big ideas. 👉 Get a ticket here.

Tuesday: St. Patrick’s Day

Wednesday:

Thursday: Free Ice Cream Cone Day at Dairy Queen

Looking Ahead

🏃 Light Up The Dark 5K | April 18 | Cameron Park Zoo Unbound Now's annual glow-in-the-dark 5K is back at Cameron Park Zoo to raise awareness and funds for anti-human trafficking work right here in Waco. 👉 Register here

🎤 Turning Point USA Tour | April 22 | Waco Hall | 6:30 PM Donald Trump Jr. and Tom Homan are coming to Waco Hall. Student tickets are free, general public goes on a waitlist. 👉 Get on the waitlist here

🥤 Dr Pepper Museum 35th Birthday Bash | May 9 The Dr Pepper Museum is turning 35 and they're throwing a huge party including the official unveiling of the world's largest Dr Pepper Bottle.

🏀 Lady Bears Are In

Baylor women's basketball is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd consecutive year, the third-longest active streak in the country behind Tennessee and UConn. They open Friday, March 20 against the Nebraska/Richmond play-in winner at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC.

🏀 Men's Basketball: Not This Year
For the first time since 2018 the Baylor men won't be in the NCAA Tournament. But they're not sitting at home. Baylor is heading to Las Vegas for the College Basketball Crown, an 8-team postseason tournament at the MGM Grand for teams that didn't make the Big Dance. Think of it as the NIT but in Vegas with a $500,000 NIL prize pool for the winning team's players. Baylor opens against Minnesota on Wednesday, April 1 at 9:30 PM CT on FS1.
As you plan for your next sick day on Thursday and Friday (AKA the greatest stretch of college basketball in the year) here is the 2026 men's bracket with tip times and TV channels.

⚾ Baseball Hosts Kansas State Tonight
Baylor split the weekend series against #22 West Virginia, a 7-6 win on Saturday sandwiched between two losses. Home tonight at 6:30 PM vs. Kansas State before a road series at Oklahoma State this weekend.

🚗 Your neighbors at Chevrolet of West have been taking care of Waco drivers for years with new and pre-owned trucks, SUVs, and cars just 20 minutes up I-35 in West, TX. Stop by or browse their inventory today.

🪙153 five-star reviews, free appraisals, and a reputation for fair market value. Reliable Coins is where Waco goes to sell gold and silver the right way.

🐶Enjoy your yard again without the cleanup. Scoopy Doo Waco is offering Waco Buzz readers a free first scoop—no contracts, no pressure.

🔥Spring Into Sweat at HOTWORX Woodway: $1 to join (normally $99), prorated March dues, and April FREE. Stop by 13701 Woodway Dr. or call (254) 870-4508 to claim it.

✨ Skin & Body Refinery delivers top tier injectors, advanced treatments, and natural looking results that help you look and feel your best. They’re offering 15% off the Event Ready treatment plan right now.

💧 Need a boost? IViT Hydration & Wellness offers IV therapy and wellness treatments to help you feel better, recover faster, and boost energy. Waco Buzz readers get $35 off by clicking the link.

💪Move better. Recover Faster. Live Stronger. Waco Bodymend is a world class space built for everyday movers, athletes, and anyone who wants to feel their best.

Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something useful, share it with your co-worker who is most likely to wear a lot of green today.

Before you go — three things worth knowing about:

1. Dinner Club: Making new friends as an adult is genuinely hard. We fix that by putting six strangers around a dinner table with conversation starters and zero awkwardness.

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