The Compound brings butter and cheesy goodness to Utica

UTICA, N.Y. — Butter and cheese lovers have a new dining option in Utica now that The Compound has opened its restaurant at 104 Genesee St.

The Compound, which also has a Clinton location at 11 West Park Row, is the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Sharrone and Anna Sofer. The Utica–area natives moved back to the region during the summer of 2019 from Austin, Texas and brought some of that city’s eclectic and funky vibe back with them.

The Sofers also had a side business selling the compound butters they used to make. Somewhere along the way, the pair got the idea to pair their flavored butters with their love of grilled-cheese sandwiches and open a restaurant. After spotting an available space in Clinton, they crunched some numbers and decided to take the plunge.

“It was a big risk, especially given the climate at the time,” Sharrone Sofer says. The Compound’s first location opened in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one thing that saved them during the pandemic, he says, is that the Clinton location is so small — it only has four tables at its maximum — that the business was already geared toward takeout.

It turns out their 12 gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches were a hit. According to his numbers, Sharrone says they needed to sell 40 sandwiches a day to make the enterprise viable for him and Anna to run.

“It turned out to be a lot more than we could handle just she and I,” he says. The couple added some employees and were in the process of considering adding on a food truck, he says, when fate intervened in the form of Utica Coffee Roasting Company owner Frank Elias. 

“We almost pulled the trigger” on a food truck, Anna Sofer says, when Elias made them aware of a space available a few doors down from his coffee shop and urged them to consider opening a location there.

The 2,000-square-foot space, once home to Utica Bread — but vacant for several years after the bakery relocated to Main Street near Union Station — was just what they were looking for, she says.

“We were not ready, but in typical us fashion, decided to jump in,” Anna Sofer quips. The couple signed a lease with building owners Tim Hardiman and Chris Taglo in December and, with their contractor Isaac Nomo, began renovating it to match their vision.

The Sofers invested $25,000 of their own money and raised another $15,000 with a Kickstarter campaign. They also obtained a $40,000 loan from Bank of Utica and $40,000 in financing for restaurant equipment from NJ Flihan & Co. on Bleecker Street.

The result is a funky space featuring various works by local artists on the wall, used books for sale, kitschy items like a hot pink cuckoo clock, a disco ball, and a much larger menu than the 800-square-foot Clinton restaurant.

“It’s all about fun and comfort,” Sharrone Sofer says. 

Along with indoor seating, there is also a cheese case and a menu that includes burgers, loaded toasts, and baked potatoes. The Compound also has access to shared event space on the second floor of the building, which will allow it to host pop-up events.

The restaurant had its soft opening the second week of March and celebrated its grand opening March 15.

To spread the word along with the butter, the Sofers rely on their social-media pages on Facebook and Instagram, where they have more than 11,600 followers.

“We partner with a lot of local influencers,” Anna Sofer adds. They are also working with several organizations including the Central New York Cheese Trail and hold pop-up events where they invite local makers in to sell their wares to continue to spread the word.

So far, the response to the new eatery, which is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., has been great, the Sofers say.

“We love Utica,” Anna Sofer exclaims. “We are really invested in the new Utica.”