Amid upcoming changes to dining services and the expansion of dining options on campus, Camino Bakery will replace Starbucks in ZSR Library and bring a unique local flavor to Reynolda Campus this fall.

Camino Bakery is a local business that began as a tiny bakery in the basement of Krankies Coffee in 2008 and has since expanded to three established locations in downtown Winston-Salem, historic Old Salem and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. 

The transition to a local bakery from a national coffee chain reinforces Wake Forest’s support for businesses in the surrounding Winston-Salem area and highlights the growing interest in local, sustainable brands. 

“I’m excited to see Camino Bakery join Village Juice as the second local brand on campus,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Dedee Johnston. “These unique Winston-Salem based brands offer healthy, innovative menu options that diners won’t find in other national brand outlets.”

With locally made foods, the Camino Bakery in ZSR will serve an assortment of specialty coffees, pastries, scones and bagels, as well as offer lunch items and desserts. The menu will also feature vegan and gluten-free options. 

In addition to its mission to provide high quality coffee and food to its customers, Camino Bakery invests in the growth of the Winston-Salem community and in the sustainable development of the city as part of the Piedmont Environmental Alliance’s Green Business Network. The bakery also employs an alumna of the Wake Forest Graduate Program in Sustainability, Crystal Aguero-Norman, as the Sustainability Coordinator and Wholesale Assistant Manager. 

The official partnership with Camino Bakery reflects the university’s commitment to sustainable management of resources and to a temporary reduction of financial expenditures during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The university will spend much less to refresh the space in ZSR with fresh paint, artwork and some new equipment in order to install Camino Bakery than it would have spent to maintain Starbucks, whose contract would have required a costly $500,000 renovation this year. The university also avoids creating excess waste by refreshing the space and reusing the carpet, furniture and some equipment for longer periods of time without renovation. 

While saving money and increasing sustainability, the university can also continue to provide popular dining options that appeal to the interests of students. 

As Student Government President Miles Middleton explained, he received positive feedback from the Student Government body and other students when he consulted them on the dining decision.

“Camino Bakery has a very high approval rating from students,” Middleton said. “This will be positive in all manners, giving a new look for our beautiful ZSR and students, and it shows that we support our local businesses across the board, giving students and families a taste of Winston-Salem.”

While expanding the offerings available on campus, the university will continue to meet student demand for accessible and reliable service. Camino Bakery will retain the same payment and ordering options, rehire the staff and operate similar hours to the ZSR Starbucks. 

The bakery will continue to accept payment through Food Dollars, Old Golds and Deacon Dollars, as well as accept pre-orders through GrubHub. Likewise, veteran baristas like Rosalyn and Danielle will continue to serve students as they grab a cup of coffee or a pastry for a morning pick-me-up, afternoon study session or late night cram for an exam. 

With advantages on top of the mainstays of the student dining experience in the ZSR location, Camino Bakery shows remarkable promise according to Associate Vice President of Hospitality and Auxiliary Services John Wise. 

“I get excited any time we can introduce a fresh new concept on campus,” Wise said. “Like Village Juice, local partners have proven to be positively received in our community.”