A millennial couple grew their side hustle into a business bringing in $4.5 million a year—here's how the cofounder would start it again, with nothing

The Nitro Cart parked on the sidewalk (Credit: Audrey Finocchiaro)

• The Nitro Bar has grown from a $1,500 credit card investment into a $4.5 million coffee company. Its millennial cofounder Audrey Finocchiaro says the secret to success starts with “ignoring the boomers” and using TikTok to build from the ground up.

Like many Gen Zers today, Audrey Finocchiaro and her then-boyfriend, Sam Lancaster, graduated from college a decade ago and were suddenly struck with harsh reality. The millennials had no money and no career direction—taking up serving and bartending jobs at local restaurants to make ends meet while crashing on her parents’ futon.