Compass Coffee Just Donated 2,600 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer to D.C. Public Schools

To help support D.C. Public School’s return to in-person learning, local veteran-owned roaster Compass Coffee just donated 2,600 bottles of hand sanitizer for students and teachers across the city. In the beginning of the pandemic, Compass switched from producing vanilla syrups to making hand sanitizer for first responders, allowing the company to rehire laid-off staff members and give back to the community.

A recent conversation with a teacher and regular at the coffee chain inspired Compass to produce and donate additional sanitizer for D.C. schools.

“We’re really proud to be able to help teachers and students at DCPS as they begin in-person education,” production manager for Compass Chas Newman said in a press release. “It’s been a hard year for us all, but maybe most so for teachers. We’re glad to do our part to make things just a little bit easier for them and their students.”

In other news...

• The former Tyber Creek wine bar in Bloomingdale is now a new restaurant/wine club called Établi (84 T Street NW), as previously reported. This is Établi’s preview weekend, offering wine flights and pizza from a wood-fired oven.
• French bistro Le Kavacaha is softly opening today in Tenleytown, PoPville reports.
• Capitol Hill food hall The Roost is reopening sundae shop State Fair today, with a menu from chef Allie Cheppa featuring treats like Cheerwine floats, maple waffle cones, and chocolate custard sundaes with brownies and hot fudge sauce. State Fair’s hours are Friday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 12 to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m.

• The Hyattsville Wire has it that chef Jeffeary Miskiri’s upcoming Suga & Spice restaurant in the Arts District will blend Caribbean and Southern cuisine, and another scoop from the blog is that a new Jamaican bar and restaurant is incoming in Woodridge.
• Falls Church’s Firepan Korean BBQ is adding a location in downtown Silver Spring with hopes to open in November, according to Bethesda magazine.
• DCist tags along with Iulian Fortu, who forages in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania to find ingredients like garlic mustard and wild blueberries for D.C.’s fanciest restaurants.
• Taco Bamba will add its first Maryland location, according to Store Reporter, opening up at Congressional Plaza in Rockville in the beginning of June.

• During the pandemic, DC Central Kitchen passed out over four million meals and delivered groceries to more than 200 D.C. locations. Now the nonprofit is rolling out two new DC Central Kitchen food trucks in order to bring meals directly to children and seniors. A press release states: “Investing in two new food trucks will allow us provide the types of dignified meals our neighbors have requested in locations they can easily access. And in the long-term, these assets will help us provide hands-on training and entrepreneurship assistance to our students interested in food truck opportunities.”
• Grazie Grazie, the comeback sub shop from Taylor Gourmet’s founder, is throwing its last pizza party of the season. On Saturday, May 22, find pizzas with toppings like candied jalapeño and sausage, along with frozen cocktails from Gina Chersevani and even free pizza tattoos.
• Looks like Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s fame were hanging out at the chain’s ice cream shop at the Wharf this week.