By Lacey Watt
CUMBERLAND — Sip. Shop. Savor. Those three words cover the windows as customers step into The GREEN Bean and are greeted by handmade gifts and warm smiles smell of fresh coffee.
On the corner of Washington and Muessing Street is where Bernadette Lathrop and Nicole Dufour had their grand opening on Sept. 6. Since then, they have been making cup after cup while helping promote local art.
Dufour said they have more than 20 local vendors and artists’ work available for purchase at their shop — anything from soaps, candles, homemade purses, décor and more.
“We’re really big on keeping it local and repurposing things,” Dufour said. “We just like to keep it green and as local as possible… We know because we both live over here that there’s nothing like this over here… now we have one.”
While Dufour doesn’t mind the occasional trip to Irvington for some shopping, she and Lathrop saw the need for a shop like theirs locally.
After the closing of Sam’s Club and Kohl’s and then the opening of an ALDI and Chick-fil-A down the road, Dufour said for everything that closed down, “they half-opened something else.”
“I just wanted to be able to go get a snack and a gift,” she said.
Lathrop, who had a restaurant in Irvington for 20 years, felt similar emotions when it came to the need, and also the need to be green about it — hence the name. She explained how green means capital and tries to be Earth-friendly.
While some items may not have the traditional or stereotypical look, most of their products use recycled materials, such as their cups for hot coffee that say they are 100% recycled fiber.
“Your coffee cups are going out in recycled carriers, recycled paper, recycled boxes,” Lathrop said. “Everybody appreciates that. They’ve been very receptive to all that.”
Dufour said recycling is more cost effective, and they can pass on the savings to their customers.
Lathrop said that she had the vision for a shop like this for about five years but was never able to make it happen, but after talking to Dufour at a family Christmas gathering, the two of them were able to come together as business partners.
Lathrop knew the owner of the building and knew it would soon be available.
The shop offers chill sips, hot sips and signature sips, which include their own creations such as the “Honeymoon,” and a few new fall creations currently being created. If there is something wanted but not on the menu, they will try to recreate it accordingly. Snacks such as bakery items mostly come from Nana’s Best, which is located in Greenfield.
Dufour said that, since the opening, the community has been extremely welcoming to the business. One Saturday, Dufour with the help of her husband was serving customers that lined all the way down the front counter and into the next room where vendor items were displayed. With happy tears in her eyes, she kept herself under control but couldn’t thank the crowd enough.
Lathrop said that when they created their shop, they wanted to create a place where people feel welcomed and satisfy a good-vibe feeling while also being different, and that’s what Lathrop said they are hearing in response.
“As they walk in the door they’ll say ‘We’ve been waiting for you’,” Lathrop said. “And we go, ‘We’ve been waiting for you.’”
Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit facebook.com/thegreenbeansip.
