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cold brew. This worked like a charm: Over 70 restaurants have it on tap today. The Gamble Two investors sampled The Nitro Cart’s cold brew at a farmers market and decided to invest. They offered Finocchiaro a deal: a $100,000 loan, with a 10% interest rate, to help the couple expand their business. Additionally, the deal stipulated that the investors could turn the loan into a 10% equity investment in The Nitro Cart. It was a gamble because they risked losing all they had built if they could not keep up with payments. But they took it, and the money provided a financial safety net for them. However, their newfound finances did not stop them from working to their full potential. Instead of slowing down, they sped up. The couple proceeded to work weekends, spending 80-hour work weeks and willing themselves to succeed through tenacity and hard work. They could no longer give up. They had to persevere. Brick, Mortar, and TikTok Finocchiaro and Lancaster did not rely on word-of-mouth alone. They started a TikTok channel, creating content
showing their hard work and innovative cold brew. By giving their audience a look into their lives and processes, they have become social media influencers on top of business owners. To date, the channel has accrued over 220,000 followers, and Finocchiaro’s personal TikTok account has nearly 100,000 subscribers. Now, The Nitro Cart is known as The Nitro Bar. They currently have three brick-and-mortar stores and over 60 employees. They made less than $100 a day when they started, and now they earn $4.5 million annually. It does not matter how you start but how you finish.
HAVE A Laugh
The Rivalries That Redefined Amusement Parks
In the early 20th century, Coney Island was the beating heart of America’s burgeoning amusement park industry. Three rival parks — Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and Dreamland — engaged in cutthroat competition that dramatically reshaped this iconic destination. A Tawdry Reputation Coney Island was once known as “Sodom by the Sea,” a tawdry, vice-filled destination. But in 1897, Steeplechase Park opened, and its founder, George Tilyou, sought to bring clean fun to the masses. Tilyou’s success soon drew the attention of his rivals. In 1902, he lured away the founders of the popular “A Trip to the Moon” attraction from the upcoming Luna Park. These underhanded tactics were common — the parks constantly copied each other’s rides and acts. Rapid Innovation This competitive spirit drove rapid innovation. Over just a few years, the parks introduced groundbreaking new attractions like the Rotating Barrel, Thunderbolt roller coaster, and the world’s largest Ferris wheel. They transformed the public’s perception of amusement parks, elevating them from sideshows to technologically advanced experiences. The Modern Amusement Park The era of Coney Island’s dueling theme parks was short- lived. Still, the competition drove the evolution of amusement parks, laying the foundation for the iconic destination Coney Island has become.
3 CraigHansonCPA.com
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