As a child, Peter Vacca felt the most at home in the heart of Maine’s embrace, where the sky stretches wide above the golden sands of Ocean Park.
He may not have known it then, but the place he would spend his entire childhood vacationing would only end up being three miles away from where he would someday co-own and operate a coffee shop.
Growing up, Peter and his band of friends from Billerica, Massachusetts would journey with their families to Pinehurst Park in Old Orchard Beach. They affectionately called it “Little Billerica,” as it felt less like a vacation and more like an extension of his hometown.
Each year, Peter and his friends would spend their days fishing, tubing down the Saco River, or getting lost in the endless maze of the arcades. When dusk draped over them, they would stroll along the pier, filling up their lungs with the sweet ocean air before returning to the warmth of an evening campfire.
Maine truly felt like the place his heart always wanted to be, where time seemed to pause on his own terms. It was here that he learned to savor the little things. The memories he has from those vacations often lingered on long after the colors of his summers had faded away.
In 2022, Peter and his wife Kelsey were determined to lay down roots in Maine. During their search, Peter, an enthusiastic entrepreneur, was thrilled to find an ideal location for a new business venture on Main Street in Saco.
Peter discovered the businesses' chosen coffee brew, Carrabassett Coffee Co., during a snowboarding trip at Sugarloaf shared with family and friends. One taste was all it took for him to realize its unparalleled quality, prompting Swell Nitro Coffee to partner with this roaster based in Kingfield, Maine.
His establishment is unique in Saco for serving nitro coffee, which they assert is distinct from normal coffee. Unlike traditional drip coffee, nitro coffee boasts a smoother taste with lower acidity levels, and despite its gentle extraction process, it still retains a robust caffeine profile and well-rounded flavor.
Peter dedicated months to brainstorming the perfect name for his new venture, exchanging numerous ideas before finally settling on 'Swell Nitro Coffee.' The name 'Swell' cleverly acknowledges their coastal location and offers a fun play on words, allowing them to send customers off with by telling them to have a “swell” day.
For Peter, coffee has always played a prominent and important role in their lives. As teenagers, it was a forbidden fruit they stole sips from in the kitchen. As young adults, it kept them going on long days at work and in school. Coffee had seemingly woven itself into the fabric of most of their cherished memories and been there for them on many occasions, from the morning start to the afternoon lift and the final evening pick me up.
Passionate about this craft, he's dedicated to early mornings, refining their flavors, and soliciting customer feedback, which he says has been overwhelmingly positive. Even as newcomers to the business scene, he's brimming with ideas, contemplating the optimal grind and seasonal flavors to enhance their brewing technique.
Envisioning growth, Peter aspires to one day expand Swell Nitro Coffee with a mobile cart to cater to weddings, corporate events and festivals.
While owning a local business takes a lot of hard work, Peter wouldn’t have it any other way. For him, it is a dream come true to be able to serve a community that has given him so much through the years.
