Little cart. Big joy.
What it is
Nectar is a mobile candy business built on a vintage Italian Ape Piaggio, painted Ferrari Rosso, full of imported Swedish pick-and-mix at $1.25 an ounce. I co-founded it with Natalie LaRosa and we launched February 13, 2026 — sold out the first day. Everything underneath the cart — booking, a live find-the-cart map, crew shifts, the boost system that pays crew more for high-demand events, payroll cron, gift cards, Candy Club subscriptions, shipping and fulfillment, and the SOP playbooks the crew runs at every event — was built in conversation with vyb. As the cart has grown, so has the ops stack: a rotating monthly candy menu, ingredient transparency for every variety, and a single admin hub that runs the whole back office.
Why it exists
Natalie and I had a strong feeling that Pittsburgh needed more joy, and that a beautiful cart full of imported Swedish candy at a popup was the way to deliver it. No market research. Just a red Ape and a bet on the idea.
How it's built
What's inside
shop
Pick & Mix Shop
Order Swedish candy online by weight. 50+ varieties, $1.25/oz, Square-powered checkout with real-time cart.
Candy Club
Monthly subscription box with handpicked Swedish candy. Custom-labeled, Shippo-shipped, auto-billed.
Gift Cards
Digital gift cards delivered by email. Any amount, redeemable online or at the cart, powered by Square GAN.
Ingredient Transparency
Every variety has a public ingredient page and printable allergen label. What's in the candy is never a mystery, online or at the cart.
events
Event Booking
Book the cart for birthdays, popups, and private events. Google Places venue autocomplete, deposit, Square invoice for the balance.
Find the Cart
A live Google map of where the cart will be — upcoming popups, times, and pinned locations across Pittsburgh.
crew
Crew App
Shift claiming, schedule visibility, and earnings tracking for the Nectar crew. Claim your shift in one tap.
Crew Playbooks
Database-backed SOP runs walk the crew through setup, service, and close — with photo evidence captured at every step.
Boost System
Dynamic pay multiplier for high-demand events. Crew earns up to 1.5x on private bookings, 1.25x on popups.
ops
Admin & Fulfillment
One hub for the whole back office: orders, Candy Club, finance, crew sync, events, newsletter, and Shippo shipping labels — no separate apps.