Geoffrey Martinez — B.S., Business Administration, 2011

My Business is Thriving

Geoffrey Martinez is the owner of Patria Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster and coffeehouse located in Compton, California. Opened in April 2018, the coffee shop has helped to bring economic vibrancy back to the city. When he first opened his shop, Martinez was still in the process of finishing his degree at CSUDH. He was roasting and selling coffee to friends and family, taking classes part-time at night, and also working as an electronics exporter – no wonder he needed the coffee!

Once Martinez started getting small accounts in offices, restaurants, and churches, he quit his other job to focus on his business venture. A Los Angeles native, born to immigrant parents from Guatemala, Martinez returned to their country and spent his early childhood in the rural coastal region of Escuintla. He remembers discovering coffee in its fruit form there while playing in his friend’s backyard.