Main Street cafe in Waverley is already a drawcard in the South Taranaki town.
Owner Claire Davidson bought the cafe in June and spent two months transforming it with her partner before opening last month.
The interior is spacious with clean lines and has the impressive works of local artist Lisa Walsh adorning the walls.
There is no clutter and combined with the delicious smell of homemade food, expresso coffee and wide sparkling windows looking onto the town, it has a unique atmosphere.
Claire said she was nervous before opening and hoped she would attract customers because owning and running a cafe in the small town had been a dream for years.
Now she said she was amazed at how busy the cafe had become.
Being on the main highway to New Plymouth and Wellington has meant a steady stream of travellers stopping off and saying they loved what was on offer, she said.
"They don't stop back in Hawera because they'd have to turn off the main road. Here it's just so easy. There's always parking and they can just drop in."
A group of Australians stopped for morning tea this week, she said.
"They spent up large on their morning tea, then two hours later they came back and had lunch as well because they loved the place and the food."
And Main Street was already a favourite with Waverley locals, she said.
Claire stressed there was no "fried-up junk food" in her cafe.
"No way, it's good fresh food. We're a cafe, not a fast-food outlet, and it will stay that way."