At R.I.'s The Nitro Bar, this cold brew is hot
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Q: What led you to launch The Nitro Bar?
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Finocchiaro:
After I finished college in New York City, Sam and I came home [to Rhode Island]. We were both working in restaurants, and we wanted to see if we could start something on our own. So we built a really [crappy] cart and started there.
Tell me about your early days.
I maxed out my $1,500 credit card, that's how we built the [crappy] cart. We had been popping up all over Providence, and right before Brown University came back into session, we were going to give up. We were making maybe $20 a day. Sam brought the cart to Brown, and it was the first time he called me freaking out and was like, 'We've sold out!' We found investors the next year at a farmer's market. It was really insane to go from having no money in your bank account to all of this money in 24 hours. That kicked off our business and allowed us to grow faster. We built out our first store in Providence, the next year did a second store in Newport, and the year after that, did this store [on Thames Street].
What differentiated you in such a competitive market?
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Number one, we focused on our products, like our Nitro Cold Brew, and making really fun drinks. That was something that wasn't being done as much as it is now, so that made us stand out. Kindness and community have always been really important to Sam and me, so we became friends with so many customers and created this really big Nitro community, which was our goal at the beginning, creating a welcoming but fun environment.
How do you maintain that personal connection with your customers as you continue to grow your 535,000 fan base on social media?
I feel like maybe from the outside it looks like we're so big, but internally, it doesn't feel like that at all. It still feels like we have such a tight community, with all of our regulars. I like being really authentic online and creating a tighter relationship with the people following us from around the world.
Was there a point when you realized that social media could take your business to the next level?
When we opened the cart, we posted a ton to Instagram. That was the main platform we used, and that's when we started to notice how impactful social media could be. We'd post where we'd be that day, we'd show up, and there would already be people there. [Sam and I] also loved watching YouTube and other influencers and saw how impactful it is to watch someone's journey. [That] has always been something that we enjoy sharing — the journey of what we're doing here.
How do you keep your content fresh and stay on top of trends?
I work in a team of three. [We] spend hours every week talking about social media trends: what we're seeing, what we think is funny, how we feel about things and how we can apply it to Nitro. We have one really long brainstorm meeting, where we'll come up with the ideas for the week, and then we'll spread those ideas out over each day. And then, you know how TikTok works, there's trends that come up really quickly, so we'll leave space for those.
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Do you have a favorite TikTok you've filmed?
Bringing my dad in to rate Nitro goodies has been hilarious. He just got his first PR package from Dunkin', which he's so pumped about. We're filming an unboxing with him.
Do you have any advice for other young entrepreneurs?
Working with a local bank. We started out working with a national chain, and that screwed us so many times. Working with Centreville Bank has allowed us to have personal relationships with lenders. Get to know your banker and work with someone small who can help you get a loan or expand or figure out which credit card to get. Second, finding a good therapist. Love that one. Try to create boundaries around when you're talking or thinking about your business.
What's happening next with The Nitro Bar? Anything you can share?
We're about to launch our biggest collection, which has been really exciting. We have created a brand around
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Molly Harris is a student at Johnson & Wales.
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