LOS ANGELES — "Come with me and you will be in a world of pure imagination. Take a look and you’ll see into your imagination."

These are the whimsical words of Willy Wonka, and now a chocolate master of Los Angeles is giving you the golden ticket.

“I want it to be an experience. That’s why we have the glass walls where you can see the people making chocolate from scratch,” said owner Jonathan Grahm.

Compartès Chocolate has been a staple in L.A. since the 50s, serving stars like Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. But the owner is now catering to a new audience.

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Grahm said he wanted to do his own modern twist. Like L.A. art, design, style, and fashion, he wants to make Compartès a brand that emcompassed everything he loves.

He actually made chocolate with Compartès since he was 15. As an L.A. local, he made the decision eight years ago to buy the legacy and modernize it.

 

“I had to decide, do I want to make chocolate that makes people happy or do I want to be in a courtroom all day? So I said chocolate wins,” said Grahm.

And we all win because he took these bars to a whole new level with interesting recipes and fresh ingredients.

“You have real ingredients and chunks in the chocolate bars,” said Grahm.

He also decided to expand and bring the company worldwide, but he says they are still a local brand. Every single bar is made right here and the business is run by Grahm.

“Compartès really is such a labor of love for me. It’s a passion. I love it,” said Grahm.

His passion keeps Compartès thriving as retail is declining. They take most of their orders online and Grahm made the conscious decision not to open too many stores too quickly. Gourmet candy brands like Sugarfina are filing for bankruptcy and closing their doors, while Grahm's business seems to be going up.

 

“It was important to be in growing Compartès to maintain the quality, so I tried to grow it slowly. We haven’t opened up tons of different locations,” said Grahm.

There are only three storefronts with this chocolate factory being the newest. Here he will offer chocolate making classes and tours to draw people in.

“We wanted to build a place that people will get in their cars and drive to," Grahm said, adding that in this day and age when retail is decling, that's what you need to do.

The new chocolate factory is located at 516 N La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif. 90036.