There's no argument: Waco became a better place to live in 2013.
The lifestyle factor improved as new restaurants opened and others announced plans to come to town. And did you notice we're building a stadium? So here's our list of the top 13 developments in town during 2013:
13. In-N-Out inched forward.
The California-based burger chain moved from a position of (I'm paraphrasing) "Waco is a possibility" to "We're looking for a place to land."
12. Longhorn Steakhouse began construction.
The building that was once TGI Friday's and more recently Tokyo is gone and another building is going up to house the chain steakhouse.
11. Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers made plans to move into new Hewitt strip under construction.
The chain burger wars jump up a notch. Do you want Whataburger, Smashburger, Freddy's or Fuddruckers?
10. Gus Johnson sang the praises of Luby's on Texas Tech vs. Baylor football broadcast.
I'm pretty sure Luby's didn't pay for advertising on this game, but that didn't stop Johnson from speaking about the cafeteria as if it were the hottest food truck in Austin.
9. Nizza Pizza claimed a slice of Baylor pizza market.
The little strip on Bagby hasn't ever been a restaurant hot spot, but Nizza is making some noise by serving pizza by the slice.
8. Fuzzy's Tacos and the Rusty Taco grabbed Waco locations.
Fuzzy's is supposed to be going in near the McAllister's on Waco Drive. Rusty is going to be in the same center as Mama Fu's and Smashburger. But it appears it will be later in 2014 before either gets here.
7. Mama Fu's and Smashburger landed on Valley Mills.
The landscape of Valley Mills changed with the arrival of these two new casual dining spots.
6. True Love's relocation made it a nightlife player.
When I heard in February that True Love, which used to be on Lake Shore Drive near MCC, would re-open on Franklin, I don't think I figured it would be the nightlife player it has become. True Love is the most likely spot to catch live music several nights a week, plus karaoke and pub quizzes.
5. Dichotomy's opening was worth the wait.
The Dichotomy team had a vision for its space and stuck to it even though it meant opening much later in the year than expected. But when they began serving coffee and spirits, crowds showed up.
4. Baylor Stadium took shape.
The walls and stands are going up while the Wacotown mural counts down the months.
3. The Hippodrome got a new lease on life.
News broke early in 2013 that Kunkel Construction would renovate the historic Waco theater, turning it into a dine-in movie theater. It's looking like the venue, featuring multiple screens and a restaurant as well as live shows, could be finished by the fall.
2. Gut Pak won Food Network College Eats tourney.
We knew we loved Vitek's Gut Pak, but we found out how much this year. Waco and Baylor rallied to vote for the Gut Pak in this 32-college-town-eats contest and we came out on top.
1. News broke of Torchy's imminent arrival.
This was a complete surprise, and a good one. I would've put Torchy's on a top-10 list of Austin restaurants I would love to see in Waco and it's actually happening. Better yet, it's going into the old Taco Bueno near Baylor, so they don't have to build, so they'll be here quicker.
