From Frying Eggs to Brewing Dreams: The Rise of The Nitro Bar
Much like finding a quarter in the laundry, Audrey Finocchiaro and her then-cuddle buddy, Sam Lancaster, graduated from college a decade ago only to discover that adulting wasn’t quite what it cracked up to be. With wallets emptier than an optimist’s notion of student loans, they resorted to serving and bartending at local restaurants, all while graciously accepting the comforts of a futon that had debated whether it was more a couch or a mattress.
Not content with the flavors of life as a waitress, they brewed up an ingenious plan: a coffee cart glimmering with nitrogen-infused cold brew dreams. Utilizing a $1,500 credit card limit (which basically translates to “please, someone lend me a job that pays”), they scrounged up scrap wood from Audrey’s parents’ basement—because, really, who needs a side hustle when you can construct a glorified box instead?
It was that fateful year of 2016, when they squeezed into the back of Finocchiaro’s trusty Subaru Outback like sardines looking for a revolution. The first cart was only capable of storing equipment, but who needs electricity when you’re caffeinated and ambitious? The pair set up shop on city streets, selling their overly elaborate cold brew creations for sums ranging from $20 to $60—a figure that likely caused them to reflect deeply on their life choices during long, introspective shifts.
Initially, the customers were as available as consistent lighting in a horror film. Just when they were about to declare a retreat, Sam discovered a magical place called Brown University, where the Ivy League students congregated like caffeinated sheep in need of their daily fix. That fall, as the crisp air rolled in and students emerged from dorm rooms like hibernating bears, business boomed. “Dude, you’ll never believe it!” Finocchiaro shrieked into the phone to her partner. Kind of like discovering an old lottery ticket that actually won, they made $600 that day—a dazzling life-altering amount for any caffeine-deprived millennial.
Suffice it to say, they parked their cart daily in front of Brown, creating a coffee-crazed cult following, eventually leading to over 500,000 social media followers—a glowing endorsement for caffeine and bitterness alike. Yet, like any good business saga, their fortunes took a twist when, at a local farmers’ market in 2017, they were approached by investors. Yes, real ones, not the kind who just sit at their parents’ basements with a strange obsession for bean counting.
In a spreadsheet standoff moment straight out of a business drama, they calculated the necessary funds needed to escalate their caffeine carousel: a whopping $150,000 was approved just like that. Because who wouldn’t want to invest in a business that runs on liquid energy and ambition? With funding in hand, they immediately pivoted into wholesale as winter loomed like a dramatic villain intent on seeing their demise.
Fast-forward a few misadventures, and our duo found an affordable 200-square-foot space rented from a local bike shop—heralding a new era for the Nitro Cart. With a startlingly steep interest loan from Square (hey, forget the shiny new toys; this was survival), business exploded, and lo and behold, The Nitro Cart is now raking in $4.5 million annually. But seriously, who knew a cart could turn into a coffee empire capable of dispensing caffeinated elixirs across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, complete with a growing army of 80 marvelous employees?
Turning Likes into Lattes: TikTok’s Magic
In case you’re wondering, social media is not just for posting vacation pictures anymore. With over 500k followers on TikTok, Audrey and Sam learned that throwing “content” at the virtual wall eventually sticks. “We just experimented until something stuck… eventually,” she explains. Seven years and many creatively dubious ideas later, they finally hit the sweet caffeinated spot.
Her advice? Keep a running list of ideas in your notes app, post multiple times a day, and stick to a routine more sacred than a coffee bean. Essentially, it’s capitalism 101: the more you post, the more you expose your life to your followers—turning them into both fans and caffeine enthusiasts, addicted not only to your product but also your content.
Ignoring the naysayers (like any self-respecting visionary would) has been part of the duo’s success mantra. “Forget discussing your dreams with boomers who just want to wrap you in reasonable doubt,” she quips. Instead, they recommended an infallible self-bet: hold tight to your vision and pour yourself into those dreams, one coffee cup at a time.
In a world where dreams collide with realities, The Nitro Bar isn’t just navigating the tumultuous waters of entrepreneurship; they’ve turned skepticism and coffee beans into a multimillion-dollar celebration worth a downpour of espresso shots. Who would have thought that a somewhat scrappy coffee cart could evolve into this caffeinated behemoth, serving happiness—or at least a sweet caffeine buzz—one cup at a time?
