The Contagious Compassion Of Bett Carreiro

If you’ve been anywhere near the East Harwich Stop and Shop, you are familiar with Bett Carreiro. 

Six days a week, she’s outfitted in a green apron serving coffees, smiles and genuine conversation — just ask her regulars. She’s known to remember names, give a cup a sweet smiley face and always radiate sunshine. Take Carreiro out from behind the Starbucks counter and she shines just as bright. 

Who do you have to thank for her contagious compassion and kindness? She credits her childhood and her family for her positive outlook. 

Carreiro grew up in Provincetown in the 1960s. Her family owned a popular restaurant called The Cottage Restaurant off Commercial Street. Today, the building still stands, but for the last 25 years it’s been Johnny Thai’s Monkey Bar, a popular cocktail bar serving Thai cuisine and sushi.

Her mom paved the way for her family in Provincetown. Originally born in Scotland, she moved to Provincetown from Glasgow when she was 21. Eventually, she brought her parents over and most of the family followed soon after. Carreiro grew up in a house with her three younger siblings, an uncle and aunt, three cousins and her Scottish grandparents. She also had two half-brothers on her dad’s side. 

“There was one bathroom, one refrigerator, one phone, one TV,” she said. “It was the best growing up we’ve ever had in our lives.” 

She calls her mom, who will be 87 in June, their fearless leader. 

She added that the love shared by her family instilled a deep passion for connection. While some locals dread the summers filled with tourists, Carreiro remembers finding a sense of joy and vibrancy from the new crowds.

“Did you ever hear about the kids that used to jump off the wharf and chuck a nickel over?” she asks. “My brothers and I would do that, you would jump over and the tourists would throw you money. You could go back up and get ice cream or a slice of Spiritus Pizza.” 

Carreiro said life was much more seasonal back then, even more so than it is today.

“We had three or four months in season, so we were all head down, skates on,” she said. “And then in the winter, you cleaned houses or collected unemployment and just waited for the next hit.”

Over the years, she’s held numerous positions including chambermaid, private house cleaner, Tedeschi food clerk and most notably, her time working the booth at Lopes Square. The booth sits in the heart of town, on the pathway to MacMillan Wharf.

“I was selling Boston Harbor cruise ferry tickets, P&B bus tickets,” she said. “We had an airbrush station, souvenirs, all out of this little window in Lopes Square.” 

Carreiro spent most of her life in Provincetown, raising her four children — Jamie, Justin, Evan and Mallory. She moved to Harwich in 2016 to be closer to her son, Justin, a local fire captain, his wife, Lindsey and their kids. These days, she says her grandchildren are what’s most important. 

She’s been a Starbucks barista for just about 10 years, but that’s not exactly what she set out to do. Once she moved to Harwich with her husband, Joey, she wanted something to fill her time. She applied to be a clerk at Stop & Shop since it was the last familiar thing she had done, but they needed Starbucks employees. 

“Learning it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I felt my knees bending and I believe anybody can learn anything, but I went home a couple days wondering if it was the right thing to cross that line. But once you get it, once you can make a latte, you can do anything.”

Carreiro has always considered herself a people person, but it’s really clear when you see her interact with her customers. Several times during our conversation, shoppers would stop to catch up, even if they weren’t grabbing an afternoon pick-me-up. 

“I want my people to know how much they mean to me,” she said. “I stay in the job because they mean so much to me, because you see them every day. I’m looking forward to seeing them and it’s not to sell them their coffee. I enjoy the pictures of their babies, I enjoy meeting their sisters and brothers. Kids will come when they graduate. You see families grow up.” 

While it may seem like she spends most of her time doting on others, she does like to unwind with a cold Michelob ULTRA after a long day. She also enjoys gardening, trips to the beach and, of course, spending time with her family.

“Life is for the living, I firmly believe it,” she said. “I love the sunny sky, I love the beach, I love the flowers.” 

Carreiro is a true Cape Codder, looking to spend time near the water as much as possible. She and her husband will frequently visit 400 East or Brax to play a game of Keno when they have a night to spare.

While Carreiro and I were wrapping up our conversation, she learned of some heartbreaking news from one of her regular customers. With heartfelt emotions, she looked away and sniffled. It was clear she was moved to tears over the information and that’s how much her people mean to her. 

For her people, life is better with not just a coffee from Carreiro, but a true connection.  The Contagious Compassion Of Bett Carreiro