“Con Confianza!”: Inside Compañia de Café

Compañia de Café is a coffee shop that opened about a year ago in the San Fernando Valley. It is located in El Centro, a collection of local shops, restaurants, and fast food places. Amongst these small locales, Compañia provides an original space and delicious treats. The Mexican-inspired shop has large display windows that reveal popping eyefuls of colorful and bright decorations, such as a bright, white table by the storefront window, a wall full of pastel-colored bird cages, and dark blue tiles that fade into white as they stretch through to the end of the wall.

Neida Rodriguez, who works at the café since it opened, explains that all the decorations have a meaning behind them.

“Everything has a concept. There’s a reason why everything is in a certain location. It is supposed to represent what it is to be Mexican American, and we strove for the feel of grandma’s house, but with a modern twist,” she said.

The modern twist applies to the pastries and drinks, as well. Traditional pieces such as a chocolate cupcake are innovated by the inclusion of ingredients such as tequila and chipotle, adding a change to the taste that is still subtle enough to enjoy its familiar flair. Cookies are turned into edible tiles, complete with painstakingly detailed art in differing designs. Compañia’s specialty drink plays with different variations on the renowned Chocolate Abuelita, available in both warm and over-ice options.

San Fernando resident, Stephanie Rivera, cannot help proclaim her excitement for the new shop.

“There’s never been anything like this in the valley,” Rivera says. “It’s like those kind of places that you see in LA, but never here. It’s great to have a local place now that combines cute aesthetic and sweet treats.”

The shop’s appeal has drawn a large audience, from people who come to study, people who wish to sit and chat, and entire families who want to enjoy some downtime munching on a delicious treat.

Compañia’s appeal and success is undeniable. Though less than a year old, its services are now extended to the people in South Gate with the recent opening of a second location.

Here is to hoping that Compañia continues to grow and touch others with its unique and savory take on Mexican-American culture.