![\"John](\"https:\/\/www2.baylor.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pinewood-july23.jpg\")
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Did you know that a Waco hotspot appeared in Food & Wine<\/em>\u2019s list of the best coffee shops in America?<\/p>\n It\u2019s true: in 2019, Pinewood Roasters<\/a> turned heads nationally with a place on the elite list<\/a>. Waco shined in the description as well: \u201cIs Waco secretly one of the coolest places in Texas right now? This out-of-the-way find, where the house coffees are handled with care and there\u2019s always a good record on the turntable, is one of the growing number of excellent small businesses making a very strong case.\u201d<\/p>\n Not surprisingly, the visionaries making that case are Baylor grads<\/a>: Dylan Washington (BA \u201914) and John David Beard (BBA \u201914, pictured above). And long before Pinewood opened in 2016, the signs were there. As a freshman<\/a>, Washington began roasting beans on a skillet in his dorm room. Those early forays led to him to further tinkering and practice, and an eventual partnership<\/a> with Beard (and his Baylor management background). They began their official efforts in a garage, then moved to a roasting space in nearby McGregor.<\/p>\n In 2016, they set up shop in a downtown restaurant, and their popularity quickly outstripped the shared space. A year later, they opened their current location in Uptown Waco, and it quickly became a staple. Baylor students have made it a regular study spot, enjoying its inviting interior and adjoining courtyard. We described the scene like this in 2022<\/a>: \u201cWe can\u2019t imagine a better place to grab a latte and bring a good read (whether for academic or entertainment pursuits) and enjoy the fall foliage and the comfortable hustle and bustle of one of the nation\u2019s best coffee shops.\u201d<\/p>\n