Viral Rhode Island Coffee Chain Teases Boston Expansion

After announcing plans for a fourth Rhode Island location, The Nitro Bar has hinted at a Boston expansion.

Cat Broughton
Written By Cat Broughton
News Writer
The Nitro Bar's location at 2 Pond Ave in Newport, Rhode Island (Image credit: Google Earth Pro)

A viral Rhode Island coffee chain has teased a Massachusetts expansion, sparking excitement among New England caffeine fans.

After The Nitro Bar announced that it would be opening its fourth Providence location on Friday, April 10, fans immediately began speculating about where the brand might go next. One Instagram user asked, “Soooo not Boston?” The company replied simply: “Boston soon 👀.” That brief exchange was enough to send speculation into overdrive.

Founder Audrey Finocchiaro, who launched the brand alongside her husband Sam Lancaster, later addressed the buzz in a TikTok video, which she opened by referencing the brand’s growing online following and local demand.

“So we had 13,000 people like a comment saying we should bring The Nitro Bar to Boston,” she said, before joking, “So we’re opening up another location in Providence, Rhode Island.”

She explained that the decision to open yet another Providence shop came down to capacity issues at their existing 228 Broadway storefront, which has become overwhelmed with demand. “So Providence now, New York next, and Boston soon.”

The announcement quickly prompted fans to weigh in on potential Boston-area neighborhoods, with Cambridge, Brookline, Somerville, South Boston, and Charlestown all mentioned as possible landing spots.

Since its founding in 2016, The Nitro Bar has become a social media-fueled success story. The brand began as a humble coffee cart operating out of Finocchiaro’s parents’ basement, before gradually popping up around Providence.

As demand grew, the couple expanded into partnerships with local restaurants, breweries, and farm stands, placing their nitrogen-infused cold brew on tap at more than 50 locations. In 2018, they opened their first brick-and-mortar shop, followed by additional storefronts in Providence and Newport.

Today, The Nitro Bar is known for its signature nitrogen-infused cold brew and indulgent craft drinks—including the Cookie Butter Matcha, Whipped Red Velvet Latte, and Fruit Loop Butterfly Pea Flower Tea—alongside a food menu featuring pastries, toasts, sandwiches, and bagels. The café’s strong social media presence has helped fuel its rapid growth, with the brand now boasting more than 590,000 TikTok followers.

The team has not yet responded to What Now Boston‘s inquiries about the expansion, and further details about The Nitro Bar’s forthcoming Boston location have not been announced.

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