Whakatāne barista Dan Marshall sees people from all walks of life as they stop by his coffee cart near Maraetotara Reserve.

Many arrive flustered – it’s a Monday, the kids screamed the whole way here, and mum’s about to join in – but most leave calmer, uplifted by conversation and the friendly young face handing them their coffee.

Bean There/Dan That (formerly Coffee Counsel) opened last Monday under its new name and with Mr Marshall running the show.

Mr Marshall said his first week in business was even better than he expected.

“The whole community in Ōhope has been very supportive in bringing me in. Everyone is like a family.”

He worked alongside the former owners for a week to help him transition into the role.

Owning a coffee cart had been a dream for a while, Mr Marshall said.

The 22-year-old has been a barista for four years, learning the ropes at Robert Harris before jumping over to Melbourne for six months.

Local coffee lovers may recognise him from behind the counter at Cafe 4U on The Strand most recently.

“I’m grateful to Robert Harris and Cafe 4U because they took me under their wing and pushed me towards being a better me.”

Mr Marshall said he was always drawn to the hospitality and culinary industries. He once considered becoming a pastry chef, but then he discovered he was pretty good at making a cup

of coffee.

His favourite part of being a barista is seeing the calm coffee can bring people when they’ve had a stressful morning.

“Seeing people’s faces after you’ve made them the perfect coffee; it’s like a sigh of relief, almost like you’ve just saved their life.”

Mr Marshall’s aspirations include opening a cafe or bakery one day.

“I feel like this is the next step to show me what that’s like and push me towards my future.”

The cart came up for sale at the right time for Mr Marshall, who wanted to get started before the summer busy season.

He is supported behind the scenes by his business-savvy mum and hands-on dad.

He said he could not imagine doing it without them.

Bean There Dan That is open from 7am, Monday to Saturday, on the roadside at Maraetotara Reserve.