Our STORY

A woman and man are alternately pretending to eat ice cream cones in a cafe. The woman is on the left, standing on one leg, while the man is on the right, holding a plate and leaning toward her.

2017 —
The doors open.

A smiling chef in a white uniform and patterned cap standing in a cozy kitchen with brick and wood accents, surrounded by coffee grinders and kitchen equipment. 
Andrew and Nicole started Nomad Coffee with a simple belief: that a great cup of coffee and a welcoming space could build something meaningful. Nicole fell in love with curating the environment — the atmosphere, the corners you'd want to settle into, the feeling that you belonged here. Andrew fell in love with the craft of coffee and the human connections it creates. They had no idea how big a part of their lives it would become.

2021 —
Chris Johnson joins THE TEAM.

A baker with serious New York City credentials arrives in Burlington — fresh off placing second on Food Network's Chopped Sweets, having trained under Dominique Ansel (inventor of the Cronut) and worked the line at Michelin-starred Per Se. He becomes Nomad's head baker. His kouign amanns — deeply caramelized, impossibly flaky — become the stuff of South End legend.
Three people smiling and sitting together outdoors in front of a brick wall, with two windows behind them.

2023 —
The torch is passed.

After seven proud years, Andrew and Nicole decide they've reached the right moment for their next adventure — a new pace of life, parenthood, and home. They hand Nomad to the person already pouring his heart into the kitchen: Chris Johnson. Their note to the community said it best: "Peace, love, coffee & croissants."
A man wearing a colorful baseball cap with cartoon characters and a white chef's coat, standing outdoors with a blurred background.

2025 —
Chris passes away unexpectedly.

In March, Nomad and the Burlington community loses Chris. His loss is felt deeply by everyone who knew him, worked alongside him, and tasted what he made. The café reopens under Nomad partners Nate and Magda of Brio Coffeeworks with his recipes intact and his spirit very much present.
A man smiling and standing with crossed arms inside a coffee shop called Nomad Coffee, South End Station, with exposed brick walls and hanging paper lantern lights.

2025 —
Eric Kelley
takes the reins.

Eric, who has run Williston Coffee Shop for over a decade, steps in as the new owner. His team had already been baking for Nomad since the reopening — so the transition is less a handoff and more a natural next step. Scones, biscuits, muffins, croissants with house-laminated dough, and the kouign amanns Chris made famous — sometimes filled with housemade berry jam — are still coming out of the kitchen daily.
A young woman with a smile, wearing a red plaid shirt, holding a mug, standing next to a display of baked goods like muffins, cookies, and bars inside a cafe with a brick wall and glass display case.

Today —
Still growing.

Nomad is a South End café with a lot of history in its brick walls. Pastry and coffee are the foundation. Soups and seasonal additions are coming. And the corner of Flynn Avenue that Andrew and Nicole opened seven years ago is still exactly what they always hoped it would be: a place worth coming back to.
Join our Team

At NOMAD, we’re always looking for talented individuals to join our team. Reach out →