I set up a coffee business whilst in debt and now I have 3 shops, it’s easier than you think to get started
COFFEE shop entrepreneur Audrey Finocchiaro had detailed how she transformed her mobile coffee cart into a multi-shop business.
The 30-year-old and her fiance, Sam Lancaster, built a subpar coffee cart in her parent’s basement and took the wheels to the streets.
The cart was funded with £1,200 credit card debt – something Audrey hasn’t shied away from sharing the details of.
Taking to TikTok, she recently shared the story behind The Nitro Bar’s success.
“I don’t have any kids but do have three coffee shops,” she penned over one video.
“I started with my boyfriend on a $1,500 (£1,189) maxed out credit card seven years ago.”
In another, she detailed how the business went from a debt-riddled coffee cart to three physical stores in Rhode Island, US.
“We started as a coffee cart we built in my parents’ basement, we maxed out a $1,500 credit card,” she said.
“We would bring that around events in Rhode Island for like, a year and a half.
“Then we started to get popular on Instagram and we were approached by investors, which is a very long story turned short.”
Their first physical store was opened in the winter of 2018.
“Soon this 600 square foot space would be packed with locals lining up to get their hands on their craft lattes and breakfast sandwiches,” a blurb on The Nitro Bar’s website reads.
“Fast forward to today: with three brick and mortar locations, over 60 incredible team members, and 70 plus tap locations, nitro has become a Rhode Island staple.
“None of this would be possible without the community that keeps pushing us forward.”
Audrey admitted that the pair got “lucky” with their investors.
When asked if the key to success is having an investor to take you to the next level, she replied: “Honestly, yes.
“But without one, we would have tried to get a loan eventually, it just would have taken longer.”
People have dubbed her journey “the story of a lifetime” and said she’s “living the dream”.