Bites Nearby: The Jolly Bean Cafe

If you find yourself confronted with a long wait at the or a long day spent inside the building at 40 Industrial Park Road, may be a welcome sight.

Owner Amanda Roy says The Jolly Bean is a coffee shop and cafe serving coffee, soups, sandwiches and hot dogs, located in lobby of the same building as the RMV and other state offices.

On the menu are lattes, smoothies, low-fat yogurt muffins, in varieties such as marble crunch and whole grain cranberry apple, and breakfast sandwiches. Esselon Coffee, based in Hadley, Mass., provides coffee and espresso. Soupls are also available with a soup du jour each day.

The Jolly Bean also offers a create-your-own grilled cheese option. Sandwiches and wraps can be made with turkey, ham or bacon, with Southwestern chipotle and roasted onion parmesan sauces.

For those looking for a quick snack, The Jolly Bean offers yogurt, hummus and pretzels, Madhouse Munchies chips and Heart Thrive vegan energy bars.

All of The Jolly Beans products contain zero trans fat, and Roy said she also offers gluten-free soups and lettuce wraps.

The Jolly Bean Cafe opened a year and a half ago. Roy had worked as a wholesale sales representative for seven years, but wanted to work for herself. An opportunity arose in the Industrial Park, and upon visiting, she noticed the immense foot traffic present, with all the people going to the RMV and the other offices, not to mention the 150 employees who work there.

Despite not having a space to herself, she has good repeat business from the building's employees and the office visitors, Roy said. One other bonus of such a location is the "non-stop people watching."

"You see everything," Roy said.

If customers come to her shop frustrated or upset, she hopes to be able to change that so "they leave happy," Roy said.

The Jolly Bean Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.