Nestled into the back of an office complex is probably the last place you would expect to find a Southern Californian oasis. But The Compound Coffee Company, located at 271 Grove Avenue in Verona, strives to make itself a place for people to come and relax and find a moment for themselves. Over the weekend, actor Joe Manganiello — known for his roles in Spider-Man, True Blood, and more — stopped by this local spot for a coffee, with his adorable chihuahua, Bubbles, in tow. Read on to learn more about yet another celeb spotting in Essex County and all about this slice of SoCal in Verona.
(Photo credit: The Compound Coffee Co.)
The Celeb Spotting
Joe Manganiello is a popular actor who’s originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He’s been married to actress Sophia Vergara since 2015, and is best known for his roles in Spider-Man, True Blood, and Magic Mike — but has appeared in endless TV shows and movies since his acting debut in the late 1990s. He came by the Verona coffee shop spur-of-the-moment, which took the owners by surprise.
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“We were in disbelief that it was actually him! He was filming a documentary next door interviewing Stephen Colbert and came to grab some coffee! Awesome dude!” The Compound Coffee Co. shared with The Montclair Girl about his visit.
Joe also visited with a special furry friend — his dog Bubbles, that he’s always seen with — includingf when he was working in Hoboken on a film with Uma Thurman over the summer. The owners couldn’t tell us enough about how nice and friendly the actor was.
About Compound Coffee Co.
Husband and wife owners Brian and Danielle Kermizian have always had a passion for fitness and the community. They have been in the fitness business since 2009 and have had a few locations across Essex County over the last several years. They opened their new fitness studio in September 2020 specializing in small group classes and personal training.
(Photo credit: @thecompoundcoffeeco)
But as COVID-19 quarantine stretched on Danielle began to think about adding a coffee shop to the business. They had the extra space and, next to fitness, coffee is the couple’s passion.
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“I think he looked at me and was like, you’re crazy. And I said, why not? We already have the space,” Danielle said.
Although the pair has years of business and fitness experience, they’d never worked on a project in the food and coffee space. Danielle described the process of opening up a new coffee place in an area that has so many great coffee places as “exciting and nerve-wracking.”
The Vibe
(Photo Credit: @thecompoundcoffeeco)
From the moment you park and get out of your car, The Compound transports you to an easy-breezy coastal hangout space.
The outdoor patio is set up with cozy wicker tables and chairs and potted palm trees, giving you plenty of space to stretch out and work on your laptop or hang out with a group of friends. There are even some classic beach games to play while you enjoy your coffee. Take a turn in a round of corn hole, or giant Connect Four.
Inside the cafe is an insta-worthy neon sign. A long bench seat and tables line one side of the store. On the other side, the expansive coffee bar has natural wood accents and displays various baked goods and boho-chic items for sale.
“We wanted to create a place where you could come and hang out, not just, grab your coffee and go, not just work out and go,” Danielle said. “You can actually stay and hang and relax and a place for people to meet. It’s remarkable how people have really taken on to that. It’s what I love seeing. How many people meet friends and moms and meet each other. And they all come here and they love hanging out here. So it’s been very rewarding.”
If you are on the go, The Compound has recently installed a pick-up window for the shop. You can place an order through its app and grab your drink from the window after barely getting out of your car.
The Menu
The star of the menu here is the coffee itself. Danielle loves to travel and try different coffee shops when she is away from home, so she wanted to make sure that the coffee menu at The Compound really stood out.
“I spent months researching and testing drinks, working with my baristas to come up with an awesome menu,” she said.
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The Compound offers the classics, such as lattes, espresso, and cappuccinos. It also has an extensive specialty coffee menu. One of the most popular drinks is the zephyr drink, which is a double shot of espresso, milk, masala chai, and house-made honey over ice. The cafe has also created a flash brew process for iced coffees: drip coffee is brewed over ice, which makes the coffee cold and seals in the flavor.
(Photo Credit: @thecompoundcoffeeco)
For those who don’t drink coffee, The Compound also has a full list of offerings of hot and iced teas and smoothies. It’s a refreshing way to wrap up any workout session — or a documentary film chat with Stephen Colbert.
