As Western New York is now in Phase 3 of reopening, food and drink-based businesses, such as one mobile coffee shop that parks along Hertel Avenue, are trying to adjust.

For Nicholas Mirusso, owner of the Bean Bastard, or the Bean Machine mobile coffee truck, coffee is his passion. And he prides his business on being different.

"There's a lot of food trucks, but not really any food camper, so I thought how can I set myself apart and attract more people so this is the Bean Machine right here," Mirusso says. 

He got into it as a hobby after becoming sober. This June, he celebrates seven years sober. In 2017, he turned his passion into a business.

"It's all about developing healthy hobbies to make up for old habits, so I took up coffee roasting in my kitchen. I didn’t know what I was doing but I learned fast, took coffee to family parties and they said I should start a business."

He's been doubling as a coffee roaster and a recovery coach at Best-Self Behavioral Health since then. This year, he decided to go full-time with his business, right as the pandemic hit. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen.  

That's until he got involved with Fueling the Frontlines Buffalo, which has provided thousands of cups of coffee for frontline workers in partnership with other coffee shops since the pandemic began.

"I did not expect to be asked to be a part of Fueling the Frontlines. I was very honored because there are so many other staple cafe's that were not mentioned, like the Cornerstone being one of them, and the Buffalo Coffee Roaster right in the Main Place Mall. So it's a way to support the whole coffee community."

This is one way he's been able to keep afloat. So far, he's been able to provide 300 cups of coffee for frontline workers. As Western New York continues to reopen, he's hopeful his business will continue to takeoff.

"So just trying to make a name for ourselves here before we decide to open up a coffee shop and hopefully when this all passes."

Mirusso is stationed in front of Lloyd's each Friday, 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. For more information, visit his website.