Olivia Cuneo, owner of The Grind, brews up a coffee order in her modified trailer. Chaia Alford/The Bethel Citizen

BETHEL — Some Bethel citizens may have noticed a new addition to the town. Parked outside The Philbrook Place is a white trailer, with a wood burned sign identifying it as “The Grind.” This trailer is the business center of Olivia Cuneo, creator, manager and sole employee of The Grind, dispensing coffee from a modified horse trailer.

While the LLC for The Grind was acquired back in May, it took until September to get the trailer itself up and ready for business. The trailer itself is a repurposed horse trailer. When Cuneo acquired it, the window in the side had already been cut. However, work was still needed. The electricity, plumbing, and woodwork were all done by Cuneo, with some help from her boyfriend.

Cuneo had experience in coffee serving before she began the business. This experience started in college, when she worked at a school coffee shop. She has been a barista for the past 3-4 years, before choosing to branch off and start her own business. “I would prefer an actual building, but I can’t afford that right now,” she said.

At the business’s inception, Cuneo solely operated out of Mt Abram. When everything began, Cuneo said, “It seemed so big at the time, then I realized the bigger things were yet to come.” Bigger things did indeed arrive when Cuneo engaged in a conversation with the owner of The Philbrook Place entirely by chance. After discussing future business plans, an arrangement was made, leaving The Grind parked outside The Philbrook Place on weekdays, bringing in the extra revenue needed to maintain the business.

In the last few weeks, Cuneo has begun to test out a new addition to her business- baked goods. She has formed a partnership with Gamut Goods, owned by Sammy and Jude, to bring a small selection of cookies to sell alongside the coffee. Her goal is to sell allergen-free baked goods, specifically for those who may be vegan or have a gluten intolerance. “I like to make sure they taste as good as allergen-containing items,” she said.

Overall, there have been many ups and downs so far for Cuneo as she navigates the business world. “It feels like a constant shift of plans,” she said. One of the disadvantages has been the limitations of a small mobile base of operations, as opposed to a building. “I can’t offer the same thing as a sit down cafe,” she said. This has not entirely been a negative, but it has affected business as she says, “It attracts a different kind of clientele.”

Her best business so far has come from the out-of-towners who have come to Bethel for foliage, shifting into the usual arrivals for winter as the ski season begins. Overall, however, she has been encouraged by the reception of the community. “People have been very welcoming.”