I never thought there would be so many challenges with something as seemingly simple as music. But here we are.

At Compass Coffee, everything has to be as good as the coffee. The drinks, the legendary customer service, the atmosphere—it all matters. And music? The music is a critical component.

It’s the subconscious element that shapes the experience. You might not notice when it’s perfect, but if it’s wrong? Oh, you’ll feel it.

Too loud, and you’re running for the exit. Too quiet, and suddenly you’re in a library. If a barista goes rogue and plays an explicit rap song in Spring Valley, I will get a text message from an angry soccer mom within minutes.

This is the story of how we learned—through trial, error, and one too many Ja Rule incidents—why music theory matters in a cafe.

The Wild West of Cafe Playlists

Back when Compass was just one cafe in Shaw, music was easy. Our baristas had incredible taste. They were plugged into pop culture, they knew what was cool before it was mainstream, and they created a soundtrack that perfectly matched the cafe’s energy. Customers would come in, hear a song they’d never heard before, and a few months later, it would be topping the charts. It was amazing.

And then… we grew.

At first, the expansion was manageable. One shop in Shaw became two, then three. But once we hit four cafes, something happened.

Enter Greiner’s Growth Model

Growth is exciting. But growth also comes with crises.

Greiner’s Growth Model explains that companies don’t just scale smoothly—they hit predictable roadblocks that require structural change. One of those crises? The shift from informal management to formal systems.

When Compass was just a few cafes, there was no need for an official music policy. Everyone knew each other. There was an unspoken understanding of the vibe. A tight-knit group of baristas, all sharing the same vision, could curate the perfect atmosphere instinctively.

But as we expanded across DC—from Shaw to Chinatown, to Spring Valley, to downtown—the cracks started to show.

“There is never—never—a time to play Ja Rule in a cafe”. This was an actual conversation I had to have. Followed shortly after by: "Under no circumstances should we ever play ‘Anaconda’ by Nicki Minaj."

It turns out that what works at a bar at 2 AM does not work when someone is trying to enjoy their morning cappuccino. Who knew?

Another problem? What worked in one cafe didn’t necessarily work in another.

• Shaw (2014): Edgy, indie, young professionals, hipsters. Unedited Drake? No problem.
• Spring Valley (2018): Young families, suburban transplants, very sensitive to lyrics. Play the wrong song? Expect an immediate complaint.
• Downtown (IMF & World Bank crowd): International customers, business professionals—jazz, soft rock, global beats.
• Chinatown: Busy, fast-paced, high-energy pop works for the lunch rush, but the vibe changes dramatically after 3 PM.

At a small scale, you can rely on individual baristas to read the room and set the right mood. But as we grew? Variability became chaos.

It was time to put a system in place.

Our First Attempt? A Simple Rule: No Explicit Music

That lasted until baristas figured out the PIN code to override the system.

Next, we made the Supervisor responsible for music. Baristas could suggest songs, but only under supervision. That… also failed. Supervisors had their own biases. Some nailed it. Others had, let’s just say, niche taste.

One day, you’d walk into a cafe, and it would feel perfect—warm, welcoming, like the best version of a coffee shop. The next, you’d hear someone blasting "Turn Down for What" by DJ Snake & Lil Jon, and suddenly the cafe felt like a frat party during spring break.

The customers noticed. And not in a good way.

Emails started rolling in. Complaints from customers, from tenants, from building owners. “The music is too loud.” “The lyrics are inappropriate.” “I couldn’t enjoy my coffee because I felt like I was at a rave.”

Clearly, we needed a better plan, so we went deeper.

Music Shapes How You Feel (Even If You Don’t Realize It)

This wasn’t just about stopping bad music—it was about creating a great experience.

If we wanted every Compass Coffee to feel amazing, we had to go deeper than just “play good music.” We had to understand why music affects the atmosphere so much. Enter music theory for cafes. 

Music doesn’t just sit in the background. It changes the way you experience a space.

1. Tempo influences energy levels.

• Fast music makes people move quicker. (Great for a morning rush, terrible for a quiet afternoon cafe.)
• Slow, mellow music makes people linger longer. (Good if you want customers to stay and relax, bad if the vibe is sluggish and sleepy.)

2. Volume affects social dynamics.

• Medium volume creates privacy—people feel comfortable talking without being overheard.
• Too quiet? Every conversation feels exposed.
• Too loud? People stop talking altogether.

3. Musical key changes the mood.

• Major key = upbeat, happy, energetic. Perfect for the morning rush.
• Minor key = chill, introspective, sometimes even melancholic. Good for slower afternoons.

And, above all—no explicit music. Ever.

(Except maybe in my car, after hours, when no one is around.)

The Challenge: Music Is Personal (And Leadership Means Navigating That)

The hardest part isn’t just picking good music—it’s handling how deeply personal music is to people.

Everyone has their own taste, and when you say, Hey, this doesn’t work here, they don’t hear, This isn’t right for the cafe. They hear, Your taste is bad.

And that’s not the point.

At Compass, leadership means separating personal preference from the customer experience—using music theory to explain why certain songs work and ensuring playlists create the right atmosphere.

Because when you get it right? Customers don’t even notice—it just feels good. And that’s the power of great music. And great leadership.

Growth, Change, and Staying True to the Mission

There was a time when a single Barista DJ could create a magical, one-of-a-kind vibe for the whole cafe. We lost some of that when we put structure in place. But we gained consistency. Now, every Compass Cafe has the right soundtrack, at the right time, creating the right atmosphere. And that’s what matters. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just running a coffee shop. We’re crafting an experience. And like great coffee, great music is never an accident.