Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont internship, for the Times Argus
Elizabeth Manriquez has been a local business owner in Barre for 19 years. She has owned Espresso Bueno since 2007, and recently expanded by opening Dames, a cannabis dispensary next door. The Community News Service caught up with her about being a longtime business owner and how she has made Barre her home.
Q. You moved here from Seattle. How did you choose Vermont and Barre specifically?
A. I didn’t want to live in a high-density population. I knew somebody who grew up in Vermont, and I picked it. Politically, it seemed good, and environmentally, it seemed sound.I never thought I’d end up in Barre because I’d heard all these terrible things about it. But I love an underdog. All small towns go through phases. There wasn’t enough housing in Montpelier, so I decided to move to Barre. My opinion then of Barre was very different from what it is now, but Barre itself has done that work.
Q. How did your upbringing influence your work ethic?
A. My dad is Mexican. I had my first job when I was 12, which is common in other cultures. I was watching my sisters from the time I was 8 years old, and so when you’re treated like an adult at a young age, it’s really hard to do what people say, because you’re used to being in charge. And I’m not a very good employee, that’s for sure. I don’t know if I’m a great boss either, but I’m not a very good employee.
Q. What was Barre like 19 years ago? Were there many other businesses?
A. It was definitely emptier as far as small businesses are concerned. I think there was a bookstore, a candy store and a floral shop. There was another cafe that opened after we did, as well. Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen would have been the first big business that moved in, which made it feel like the town was coming to life.
Q. What were the big challenges in opening Espresso Bueno?
A. I thought we would open and just be busy, and it really was not like that at all. It was a very slow, steady crawl. Some places have opened with a big bang. Twenty years ago, people weren’t like, “Oh, I want to make a latte.” They didn’t even know what a latte was. Coming here from Seattle, I couldn’t find what I wanted. And so I taught myself. If you can’t find it, you make it.
Q. Why did you open the dispensary?
A. Since I’ve been here, there have been at least four different diners in that building. The last owner closed down after a fire, and the building was empty for a couple of years. Once there was a whisper of legalizing marijuana, I thought that was the only thing that could make that building attractive again, because it was going to take a lot of money. I knew that I wanted to do it, and then the opportunity to buy the building came up. But you have to follow a lot of rules. The Cannabis Control Board dictates what we can and cannot do. Every year, I have to redo documentation and submit it. Listen, a $10,000 license, just to be able to sell.
Q. The Vermont market is flooded with dispensaries. How are you making yours stand out?
A. You have to have enough inventory, but then, honestly, the biggest way to differentiate is to just be nice. And to be clean. And did I say friendly? It’s really not that hard. Not everybody who identifies as a marijuana user is necessarily good at socializing. And so, for us to just be friendly and approachable, it makes the customers feel comfortable.
Q. How has the repeated flooding in Vermont affected your business?
A. The main floor is about a foot off Main Street. The first flood in 2023, we got a foot of water in the basement, but we only had to shut down for a certain period because there was a boil notice. But I am lucky here in this building.
Q. Why are you optimistic about the future of your businesses?
A. Barre’s doing really well right now, and I’m excited to be a part of it. The demographics here have changed a lot since I first opened. I think there’s some resistance to having more people come into Vermont. It’s like change or die, though. I think this is a nice little pocket of people from all walks of life. I want these spaces to be a safe haven for everybody, no matter what.