Compass Coffee
Private
FoundedJuly 2014
Shaw, Washington, D.C., United States
FounderMichael Haft
Hq locationWashington, D.C., United States
IndustryCoffee roaster
Num employees (2020)190[1]
ParentCaffè Nero
Websitecompasscoffee.com

Compass Coffee is an American coffee roaster and coffeehouse chain based in Washington, D.C.[2] It was founded in 2014 and operates in Washington, D.C., and Virginia.[3][4] As of June 2024, the company has 18 stores.[5]

History

The company was founded by Michael Haft in 2014.[6] Following the Shaw neighborhood store, a second store was opened in the same neighborhood in September 2015.[7] Over the next few years, other stores were opened in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia.[8][9] The first drive-through store was opened in October 2022.[10]

On October 20, 2017, Compass Coffee founder Michael Haft received the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce's Community Impact Award at the 2017 Chamber's Choice Gala.[11] On March 31, 2017, Compass Coffee was featured in DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's State of the District Address for jump-starting the Made in DC movement and creating jobs in DC.[12]

On January 6, 2026, Compass Coffee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid facing several lawsuits with its landlords over unpaid rent. The company plans to sell itself to investors, while closing 11 out of its 20 locations in the process.[13][14] On February 19, 2026, Caffè Nero submitted the $2.9 million winning bid for the company's assets pending bankruptcy court approval.[15]

Partnerships

Compass Coffee has partnered with Dog Tag Bakery, which offers a vocational program teaching disabled military veterans and their caregivers entrepreneurship skills to launch businesses.[16] Compass supplies the bakery with coffee, and Michael Haft serves as a guest speaker with each cohort.[17][18] Compass has also formed a partnership with The Corp at Georgetown University, which is a student-run organization that teaches students management and leadership skills through operating businesses on campus.[19] Compass has been supplying The Corp since 2015.[19]

The Washington Post and Compass Coffee collaborated on "The Post Roast", a coffee blend celebrating The 7, the Post's newsletter and podcast, reaching over a million subscribers and being recognized as Apple's top series of 2022.[20]

Impact of COVID-19

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Compass laid off 150 of its 189 employees.[21] The remaining 39 staff members had their pay cut to $15 per hour, and 20 of them were tasked with working on the construction of a new roasting facility. The company also eliminated the option for customers to tip when paying by credit card, which decreased worker wages. Compass received over $9.9 million in government assistance during this time.[22][23]

Controversies

In May 2024, workers at seven Compass locations announced their intent to unionize with Workers United.[5] In June 2024, Compass Coffee United accused the company of hiring 124 additional people, including Liz Brown, a lobbyist for Uber, and Cullen Gilchrist, the CEO and co-founder of Union Kitchen, and of manipulating schedules retroactively to make it appear as though the newly hired employees were eligible to vote in the union election.[5] In response, US Senator Bernie Sanders publicly criticized the company on X (formerly Twitter), labeling the company's actions "totally absurd & disgusting" and calling on the company to "end its union busting."[5][24]

References

  1. ^ Thibodeau, Patrick (May 19, 2020). "Compass Coffee's post-pandemic plan starts with bulk hiring | TechTarget". HR Software. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  2. ^ Bryman, Howard (2020-09-24). "Compass Coffee Offering Pay to Staff Volunteering at Polling Places". Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  3. ^ Judkis, Maura (September 17, 2014). "From the Ground Up: Legacy and legwork". The Washington Post
  4. ^ Ravindranath, Mohana (December 28, 2014). "At Compass Coffee, data is the secret ingredient". The Washington Post
  5. ^ Sainato, Michael (2024-06-24). "DC coffee chain lists CEOs and Uber lobbyist as baristas to halt union drive". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived 2024-06-24 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  6. ^ Deutch, Gabby (2021-03-17). "The Jewish Marine behind a proud D.C. coffee institution". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  7. ^ Bethune, Meredith (November 3, 2015). "Compass Coffee's Second Location Is Now Open". Eater DC
  8. ^ Carman, Tim (April 5, 2017). "Starbucks is all over downtown Washington. These coffee shops are much better.". The Washington Post
  9. ^ "Compass Coffee Set to Open New Location in Ballston Next Month". ARLnow.com - Arlington, Va. Local News. 2020-01-22. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  10. ^ "Compass Coffee's first drive-thru location is now open on Langston Blvd | ARLnow.com". ARLnow.com. 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  11. ^ Donner, Kathleen (November 10, 2017). "DC Chamber Recognizes Compass Coffee". MidCity DC News. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  12. ^ "Mayor Bowser's 2017 State of the District Address | mayormb". mayor.dc.gov. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  13. ^ Carman, Tim (2026-01-06). "Compass Coffee files for bankruptcy amid lawsuits, lagging downtown sales". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  14. ^ Carman, Tim (2026-02-11). "Compass Coffee had Starbucks-size ambitions. Here’s how it unraveled.". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  15. ^ "U.K.-based Caffè Nero wins auction to buy Compass Coffee". The Washington Post. February 19, 2026. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  16. ^ Jenkins, Mark (2015-01-14). "D.C.'s Dog Tag Bakery helps disabled veterans learn to run a business". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  17. ^ Muto, Jordan (2018-04-15). "This bakery is changing the lives of military veterans in a unique way". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  18. ^ "Veterans Learn Business Skills at DC's Dog Tag Bakery". Hiring Our Heroes. 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  19. ^ Smith, Daniel (2015-01-30). "Corp Rolls Out New Coffee". The Hoya. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  20. ^ "The Washington Post and Compass Coffee brew "The Post Roast"". Capitol Communicator. 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  21. ^ Williams, Elliot C. & Lefrak, Mikaela (2020-03-17). "Coronavirus Is Causing Industry-Wide Layoffs In D.C., Hitting Service Workers Particularly Hard". DCist. Archived March 13, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  22. ^ Kurzius, Rachel (2021-11-07). "Here's What Happened After Compass Coffee Eliminated Tips". WAMU. Archived 2024-02-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  23. ^ Berg, Nate (2021-07-09). "Why this coffee shop turned its baristas into construction workers during COVID-19". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  24. ^ Bernie Sanders (June 22, 2024). "Claiming that a lobbyist from Uber & CEOs from other companies are workers in order to rig a union election is totally absurd & disgusting. I strongly support Compass Workers and call on Compass Coffee DC to respect the rights of their workers to organize & end its union busting.". No. 1804505866567115242. Retrieved June 24, 2024.

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