BETHEL — The conversation at Olivia Cuneo’s Bethel coffee cart this snowy morning bounces from saving money in sales-tax-free New Hampshire to the acidity of light roast coffee, and the appeal of living in the East versus the West.

Cuneo chats with Nori Hashimoto of Rumford and Nate Granger of Bethel at her lively business, The Grind, located at Philbrook Place on Main Street.

She greets Hashimoto by name as he arrives first, then immediately starts preparing his Americano.

When Granger arrives, he says, “I’m a coffee snob,” before declaring Cuneo’s coffee “the best for 40 miles.” On her suggestion, he deviates from his usual cappuccino to try a maple ginger Americano with steamed milk and two ice cubes.

“I really love it when people stick around and talk,” Cuneo said. “Getting to know someone, even why they chose my shop … It’s unique. I don’t serve food, and it’s not a cozy place to sit. But when regulars come back, it means I’m doing something right.”

She’s had many heart-to-heart conversations with customers, discussing everything from health struggles to challenges of the day. “It feels like therapy, but it’s two-sided therapy,” she said.

She remembers drinks before name: “Sometimes, what people order tells you a lot about them. It’s easy to make that connection and remember their name once you know their drink.”

Cuneo’s journey has taken her from the Netherlands, where she lived as a toddler, to Seattle, Grand Rapids and Vermont. She skied at Bates College and on the semi-professional circuit in Montana. She returned recently to Colorado, where she worked as a barista and could still recall customers’ drinks, like, “That person gets the quad-shot mocha,” she recalled, smiling.

In 2024, she bought a partially converted 1970 horse cart. It took two and a half months to rebuild the inside, creating a farmhouse vibe with white wainscoting and a faux tin ceiling. At just 9-by-6 feet, it was likely a goat or small horse trailer, she says.

During this particularly cold winter, Cuneo faced the “unfortunate experience” of frozen pipes. “It’s not something you want to wake up to,” she said. Now, she drains her water pipes every morning and empties her gray water tank.

Living across the street from The Grind is convenient, she admits, especially when she forgets something. But navigating her small space, packed with bulk supplies — 1,000 cup packs, lids, hot sleeves, cartons of chai, oat milk, and almond milk — is a challenge.

When Granger returns after shopping in Philbrook Place, he grins and says, “I need to rescind my last statement. Forty miles? That’s not far. The next best coffee? About 180 miles away.”