HONESDALE, PA — Main Street is a quaint little town with an abundance of shops. You can find breweries and tattoo parlors, consignment shops and places where you will have no problem finding something to eat or drink. There is a little bit of everything in this town.

Small businesses everywhere continue to be the backbone of our communities’ success. Exploring downtowns you haven’t visited yet can make for a perfect getaway on your own or with your family.

On Honesdale’s Main Street, you will see everything from well established businesses to brand-new ones. Where do the latter come from? What made them choose a particular town to start a new endeavor?

There’s no better place to find out than to go directly to a source—a new Main Street business called the Compound.

“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision” - Peter Drucker. That’s what Mike Foschino, the owner of the Compound, did. We sat down to talk about his past experiences, goals, and future plans for growing his small business here; and about all the things that make the Compound so unique.

Getting the idea

Foschino started out as an Air Force air traffic controller, and then moved on to study culinary arts in New York City, gaining his experience in fine dining in Milan, Italy.

Later, Foschino worked as a chef at a popular travel destination in Cancun, Mexico, ran a recording studio and worked in marketing in the entertainment industry.

Originally from Long Island, NY, Foschino always knew he wanted to relocate to the Poconos area. When the time felt right to move his young family and put down his roots in a new town outside New York, he looked for a place within three hours of Long Island and near a lake.

Lake Wallenpaupack, along with Honesdale, fell into sight.

When he realized that Honesdale was an entrepreneur-friendly town, Foschino knew it was the right place to put his ideas and aspirations into a working plan.

“When I visited the Compound’s current location, the concept just laid itself out,” said Foschino. “A cafe area, a hood in the kitchen area, a stage area for music, a retail wall were all already there.

“It was important to me to be able to offer a space to create and work for the like-minded entrepreneurs who are just starting out,” he continued.

The building offered upstairs offices that let him develop his business vision.

Then came the pandemic. “COVID bred a new generation of business owners who were able to adopt and build business through the presented challenges,” said Foschino.

What is the Compound?

The Compound is a combination of services under a big creative umbrella.

A compound by definition is composed of two or more separate elements, and the Compound blends business, food, art and community. For the business and food components, see “Create, discover and share”  and “Delicious mixture” in this story.

Creative minds think alike

The arts and music are a big part of the Compound. The rotating art wall in one corner of the bilevel space features works by local artists. The artists can rent the art wall to display their work and offer it for sale to the public.

Foschino’s experience in the music industry helps expand and cultivate the music scene in the community. The Compound’s stage area provides a platform for ongoing music events, such as open mics, held every Monday evening, with signups for 17 available slots at 5:30 p.m.; it starts at 6 p.m. The sessions are open to all levels of musicians and all music styles.

The Weekend Brunch Series is held every Saturday and Sunday morning from 10:30 a.m. to  12:30 p.m. and offers performances by local musicians.

Musicians and performing artists can rent the stage for their rehearsal or personal needs, or take over the creative control and reserve the space for a three-hour spot on a Friday or Saturday night. That way, they can curate their own ticket or donation-based shows, with an open cafe and a burger shop for added value.

Live Mic Music is the Compound’s extension to all things digital media. It offers recording, podcasts, EPK-building, content creation both entry-level and professional, content distribution, live streams, Spotify playlist submission and other custom services.

Here to stay

This summer will be the Compound’s second season in Honesdale, and all the components are in the works to prepare for the busy time ahead.

Its philosophy, you could say, is to use meticulous planning to be ready for the unexpected. An openness to collaborate with other organizations has provided multiple opportunities for young people in the community.

“We are grateful to the Compound for providing our local young musicians with a safe and comfortable space to showcase their talent and to add to their live performing experience,” said Jamie Rutherford on behalf of the NEPA Young Musicians program and the Fall Music Festival. “They received amazing support that boosted their confidence, which inspired them to continue to grow musically and personally. We feel it was a huge success for all involved.”

Showcases of the young musicians ran weekly for several months. People came from the NEPA area and beyond to be part of it.

“I feel like people think we did a good thing here and it’s great to see individuals grow, progress and improve through what we are able to offer,” said Foschino. “As a young person who is figuring out what’s next in his life, it’s nice to have made it into this great town, to be part of where it is going, and to see a future here for my family.”

Delicious mixture

As soon as you walk into the foyer of 630 Main St., you can find a mixture of delicious and interesting things. Anatomy Craft Coffee Bar & Cafe offers a variety of coffee choices, hot or cold, as well as fresh bagels and delicious, sweet-tooth-satisfying baked items to add to your caffeinated experience.

Maae’s Juice Bar offers smoothies, juices, kombucha and oatmeal bowls. Smash Squared Slider Bar offers breakfast, lunch and dinner menus using farm-fresh products, and even provides delivery via Doordash.

“If you are using four ingredients, you should be able to taste those four ingredients,“ said Foschino. “This is the recipe for all the happenings at the Compound. Keep it simple but make sure all the ingredients are present.”

Create, discover and share

Voted River Reporter Readers Choice Best Conference Center for 2023, the Compound features a conference room for up to 30 people on the third floor, with large tables, high speed internet, TV, a kitchenette and more. The conference room and the available offices are a perfect option for a corporate meeting or a small gathering. If you are a small business looking for a business space, the Compound has an available environment for you to create, discover, and share on a daily or monthly basis with all-day access, cafe discounts, conference room use and access to computers.

Need a space for a celebration? The Compound is available for private parties with fully catered options.

Better yet, visit

For more information on everything the Compound has to offer, you can visit their website at creativecompound.biz, follow their Facebook page at TheCompoundPA, or stop by in person at 630 Main St., Honesdale and check it all out for yourself. There is too much to see not to.