Business & Tech

Merrick Welcomes the 'Coldest Place on Earth'

Nitro brings it's new style to the ice cream business.

Thursday marks the official opening day of the newest business to hit Merrick and the “coldest place on Earth.”

Nitro, a new ice cream store that uses nitrogen to freeze ice cream in a made to order format, is bringing not only a place to chill out during the hot summer days, but is also offering up a cool new way to serve customers.

A cool chill hits you as the staff gets to preparing your order. Smoke from the liquid nitrogen fills the air and the staff hands you a cool, creamy cup of bacon ice cream. Yes, you heard right – bacon. All in all, the experience is unique.

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Sean Pomper, owner of Nitro and the creator of Flavor Spray, got the idea while watching the Food Network one night and ran with it.

"There was really no way to transport the nitrogen, so I created a push button," he said.

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Pomper told Patch that the nitrogen makes the ice cream a creamier consistency and since it is made fresh to order, there are no ice crystals and it's not hard like in other places.

In addition to the flair, Pomper wanted to differentiate himself by having flavors and toppings that were a little quirky, making Nitro the place to go for an ice cream with something different.  Patrons start by picking ice cream or frozen yogurt and then pick a flavor. Customers can choose their own toppings and their own color. With choices like neon blue and green, there is fun for both kids and adults in a little cup of cool cream.

Bacon, wasabi, Lady Gaga and Cookie Monster are some of Pomper's favorites to serve, but that's not all – try the ketchup and fries for something that will tickle your taste buds. "I wanted to keep the flavors all natural and really true to flavor and with all of the competition out there, I wanted to have flavors that no one else has,” he said. Nitro also serves up flavors like Junk – which is a little bit of everything – and Kitchen Sink, everything on the counter at the time of order.

After a soft open, Pomper said that there was a great response from the community thus far.  “The kids come in and they go nuts for the smoke. All of the people coming in have had a very positive reaction,” he said.

Pomper also explained that Merrick was his first choice for a Long Island because of the people and the location of the town. “I love Long Island. I love Merrick – it has a bunch of great people. We’ve also got Bellmore right here and Wantagh and Seaford nearby, it’s the perfect hub. Merrick has it all,” he said.

Eventually, the goal is to make Nitro an affordable franchise. There will be a location opening in Syosset shortly, a location was just secured in Forest Hills, Queens and Pomper has his sights set on Manhattan as well.


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