In late 2017 Compelling started seriously scouting for our first retail location. After a successful (but somewhat creatively limiting) extended pop-up with a wholesale partner, we knew we had to find a way to offer the same service experiences we’ve been guiding our partners to offer, but on our own terms.
Opening a brick and mortar food service space in Los Angeles is not easy; the permitting process is more strict here than most places in the world, and with seemingly everyone getting into the business, making a shop that stands out is as much creativity as it is throwing money at design, fixtures, and talent.
We found a shop space in Macarthur Park, an area our owner has been passionate about investing in, put together a detailed budget, and began the lease negotiating process. After a few months, our would-be landlords realized they had the chance of making more money leaving the space empty until the neighborhood revitalized instead of giving us a fair lease, and we were left with nothing save some serious frustration and an even stronger drive to find the right fit.
After another year of looking, we were offered a space in the Hollywood Hills’ beautiful Line Lofts building. While the neighborhood wasn’t our first consideration for our initial step into physical retail spaces, we quickly found a lot to like: light competition, friendly neighbors, and overall, a great platform to start our journey!
We hope to open by November 2019, and really can’t wait to serve you in person!
Expect a hyper-efficient space focused on quality drip coffee, espresso, and tea, with a light food menu of toasts, breakfast bowls, and pastries.
Coffee industry site Sprudge did a fun feature on our shop – check it out here!