Compass Coffee, DC's favorite coffee chain, has opened their 23rd location and first in Maryland in College Park, home of the University of Maryland Terrapins. Compass Coffee has grown significantly since opening their first cafe and roastary in DC's Shaw neighborhood in 2014. Today, Compass Coffee continues to manufacture all of their own coffee and syrups in their 50,000 sq ft facility. Meanwhile, their coffee beans can be found in notable retailers like Whole Foods Market and Giant Food.
The story of Compass Coffee begins in the mountains of Afghanistan where Founder & CEO Michael Haft was serving as a Marine Infantry Officer. Michael began each day with a cup of coffee, bringing him comfort in the ritual. After years of drinking terrible coffee on deployment, Michael became obsessed with finding the perfect brew.
When Michael returned home in 2012, he brought his new found passion for coffee with him and began roasting beans in his DC home. He spent countless hours researching the chemistry of roasting, testing different beans, and developing an appreciation for what makes a truly great cup of coffee.
While pitching his product to local DC coffee shops, Michael Haft met Cullen Gilchrist who had recently founded Blind Dog Café, a pop-up in Shaw. Cullen, the future founder and CEO of Union Kitchen, recognized the opportunity in Michael's vision for bringing A real good cup of coffee to DC.
In 2014, Compass Coffee opened their first location in a converted laundromat, creating a space that was part café, part small-batch roastary. At the time, Michael was convinced he knew exactly what his customers wanted—trendy light roasts and gluten-free biscuits, inspired by the hip coffee culture he had observed in Brooklyn and San Francisco. He believed that catering to the latest trends would set Compass Coffee apart from the competition. However, it didn’t take long for reality to challenge his assumptions. He realized through his work with Union Kitchen and by listening to his customers, that people wanted a reliable, high-quality cup of coffee, not some niche or trendy offering.
Because Compass Coffee owned its own roasting operation, Michael had the ability to iterate towards what people want. He adjusted the roasting profiles, refined the blends, and focused on delivering what customers actually wanted rather than what he thought they should want. This lesson—listening to the audience and iterating accordingly—became a guiding principle for the company as it grew.
As Compass Coffee expanded beyond its first location, this philosophy of customer-driven decision-making shaped every aspect of the business. When the company moved into suburban markets, for example, they realized customers' were looking for drive-thru options for their commute.
Throughout this process, Compass Coffee continued to work closely with Union Kitchen on strategic guidance, understanding what people want, and leveraging their ecosystem of Kitchen, Distribution, and Stores. Compass Coffee was able to build a strong retail presence for their packaged products in the DC market through District Distribution, Union Kitchen's distribution partner.
In 2023, Compass Coffee opened their 50,000 square-foot roasting facility, allowing them to maintain control over their product and ensuring every cup of coffee meets what their customers want.
By embracing feedback, learning from early missteps, and staying true to their mission, Compass Coffee has found success and achieved product market fit.
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