Compton’s New Patria Coffee Pours Its Heart Into the Community

Compton’s new Patria Coffee is officially up and running. The pared-down modern coffee bar is the first of its kind to open in the South LA city, and it’s already making friends.

Patria is the work of Deanna and Geoffrey Martinez, a couple of longtime locals who have already been roasting and wholesaling their coffee beans in the city of Compton for years. They decided early last summer to try to push for a physical space to sell drip coffee and espresso drinks to locals, and started up an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds. They ultimately netted nearly $15,000, and spent the rest of last year and early 2018 building out their sunny space on Alameda Street.

[editor’s note: since the publication of this article, Deanna Martinez is no longer involved in Patria Coffee.]

Now Patria Coffee the shop is up and running. The Martinez’s opened up last week, keeping limited hours to start while they continue to dial in the look, feel, and service behind the place. They’re serving their own roasted coffee, of course, from a cozy storefront with light wood accents and mostly white walls (for now), and have been hiring from the local community when staffing up.

San Francisco’s Daniel Patterson has much the same idea, with plans to hire locally in West Adams when his coffee spot next to Alta opens up later this summer, and he and Roy Choi have been doing the same with Locol nearby Watts since day one. Patria Coffee is now open in Compton, serving Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Patria Coffee
108 N. Alameda St.
Compton, CA

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