The Nitro Bar barista whips up cold brew nitro coffee with the flair of a bartender. He scoops ice into a glass and with the pull of a tap, fills it from a keg of long-steeped coffee injected with nitrogen. The result: a sweetish swirl of brown liquid with microbubbles that float to the top in a Guinness-like foamy head.
Audrey Finocchiaro launched this caffeine-fueled concoction with her partner, Sam Lancaster, when they debuted the Nitro Cart in 2016. Since then, the pair have opened three brick-and-mortar coffee houses and their nitro is on tap at more than 60 locations, from the East Bay to Boston.
There’s also assorted Nitro Bar merch, including limited edition black-ribbed beanies and 1-pound bags of beans to brew at home.
Some small-business entrepreneurs take a roundabout route before finding their niche. Finocchiaro isn’t one of them. From the time she was a kid growing up in North Kingstown, she knew she was going to be in the food world, she says.
“When I was 6, I had a business called Neighborhood Yummies. I baked and sold cookies to the neighbors. I couldn’t see myself in any other industry,” she said.
Finocchiaro took a temporary detour in college, studying economics and international business at Marymount Manhattan and interning at fashion houses the Row and Carolina Herrera.
After graduation in 2015, she came back to Rhode Island and worked as a social media manager at Ava Anderson, a company specializing in soaps, skin care and other products.
Shortly after, she and Lancaster, who’ve dated since high school and recently got engaged, were looking around for a project. Using scrap wood that she found in her dad’s basement, and maxing out their $1,500 credit card limit, they constructed a small cart, arrayed with coffee-making equipment.
“I called around to find an event where we could try it out and a farmer in Jamestown who was holding a sheep shearing event told us to come on down,” she said, adding, “we made the coffee three times stronger than it was supposed to be.”
Undaunted by the minor hitch at that first outing, the couple turned their sights on Providence. The food scene there is incredible, Finocchiaro says.
“Anything craft-made, Providence likes,” she said.
Business permits in hand, they didn’t realize they could only set up the cart in certain places. As a result, they got chased out of their spot near the “Superman” building in Kennedy Plaza.
“It was the end of the summer, and we were going to give up but decided to try around Brown [University] and we sold out in an hour,” Finocchiaro said.
What had been 100 servings of coffee, tea and cold brew a day shot up to 400.
With winter on the horizon, they went looking for a permanent home and partnered with local restaurants and breweries where customers could get nitro cold brew on tap. By the next spring, it was available at dozens of outlets.
In 2018, they set up in their first shop, a cozy, plant-lined, 600-square-foot shared space with Dash Bicycle, a Providence bike store crammed with cycling gear.
Along with the nitro brew made with Rhody Roaster beans, caffeine lovers can get their fix of caramel and dirty chai lattes or a dirty wafer – two shots of espresso, chocolate and milk. Finocchiaro’s current favorite? Ginger citrus espresso tonic. Ever-evolving treats created by the in-house pastry chef include pesto smash bagels and banana trifle pudding.
“We take cinnamon buns very seriously,” Finocchiaro said.
Since then, the couple has opened two more locations in Newport, one on Pond Street and one on Thames Street. They plan to launch a fourth in Little Compton in June, next to Walker’s farm stand where they can take advantage of the fresh fruit for their pastries.
One lingering effect of COVID-19: Customers can now order online and pick up minutes later at the store. Unlike other businesses, though, Finocchiaro says they haven’t been plagued by staffing issues.
“We build positions for people on our team so they can grow with us,” she said. “Sam and I worked in toxic restaurant environments, and we want to create a place where everyone is treated with respect.”
The couple share responsibilities in running the business, with Lancaster handling financials and day-to-day operations.
“Audrey does more of the marketing,” he said. “She’s the visionary, pushing the business forward. She brings a vibe and energy to the store.”
With days that start as early as 6 a.m., the couple have agreed not to bring work home. He loves surfing, while she’s into yoga and owns a studio with her sister.
As the couple looks toward their 30s, Finocchiaro takes in the view from her days as a first grader selling cookies to the neighbors.
“Sam and I started out with the Nitro Cart using maxed-out credit cards, and this summer we’ll have a team of 60 to 65,” she said. “That’s pretty colorful.”
