Compass Coffee had Starbucks-size ambitions. Here’s how it unraveled.

4 days ago 6

Democracy Dies successful Darkness

The homegrown D.C. java chain’s propulsion to grow its mode to profitability ended successful a January bankruptcy filing.

February 11, 2026 astatine 5:00 a.m. ESTToday astatine 5:00 a.m. EST

Compass Coffee's Chinatown determination was erstwhile its astir profitable cafes. (Craig Hudson/For the Washington Post)

In February 2020, Compass Coffee’s founders enactment unneurotic a presumption for imaginable investors successful their Washington-based company. The platform laid retired the owners’ vision: Michael Haft and Harrison Suarez planned to unfastened 40 shops by 2022, 93 by 2025 and 156 by 2027, erstwhile they figured they’d instrumentality the institution public.