Compartés moves HQ to 6,000 modern square feet in Hollywood
The ‘design-forward’ space will evoke the same elements that have made the brand’s packaging so memorable. (Its bars are featured, for their geometric design, at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.)
On La Brea Avenue in the Inglewood neighborhood, Compartés Hollywood Chocolate Factory and Store boasts 60-foot glass windows for visitors to catch a glimpse into the chocolate making process. The space will also welcome tours, tastings and other events, including private parties.
Importantly, the expansive space pales in comparison to the company’s former 1,000-square-foot headquarters. That extra room will allow Compartés to ‘accelerate its growth exponentially.’ The company expects to produce 1m bars annually here, sold to more than 1,000 retailers around the world.
Owner and CEO Jonathan Grahm said his team will focus on reaching new retailers through partnerships and collaborations, while growing the wholesale business.
“I am excited to continue the expansion of Compartés in a really big way this year. [The] new global headquarters will give us the opportunity to focus on bringing this top quality, special artisanal product I have created to more people in more places with the same handmade quality, pioneering design and flavor combinations we are known for in 2020 and beyond,” he said.
As other chocolate makers are creating out-there flavors, Grahm hopes the new space will help him and his team keep up with innovation, experimenting with fresh recipes regularly.
Compartès is iconic LA
The brand is renowned for its haute design chocolates, customized for special guests or events; its client list runs the gamut from Facebook to Gucci, HBO to Disney, the Emmys to the Oscars.
Fans also adore Compartés’ unique flavors of chocolate bars, such as the Original Cereal Bowl (adorned with Lucky Charms and Corn Flakes), Donuts & Coffee (with pieces of real buttermilk donuts inside the bar), and Coney Island Waffle Cone (filled with crispy caramelized bits).
Most recently, it added an Organic Vegan Superfood Collection, a range made without dairy, soy, refined sugar or emulsifiers. Each bar offers several 'superfood' inclusions, such as Sprouted Seeds Granola, Turmeric Ginger Lemon, and Reishi Matcha Raspberry.
“Compartés is iconic LA…No matter where you go in the world and you pick up a Compartès bar, you know it’s a homegrown LA specialty chocolate brand,” said Grahm, referencing celebrity fans including Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedy family.
Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Grahm took over Compartés when he was only 21, after studying chocolate on his own as a teenager. He bought the business outright three years later, guiding it to additional countries, including Japan, and energizing its offerings through flavors and colors.
He helps design the labels and helped design the new headquarters, which – in addition to those glass windows – feature 14-foot brass doors, intended to resemble the Art Deco nature of Hollywood Bowl (an iconic venue built in 1922), and black acid-washed concrete floors.
The much larger headquarters will give Compartés more room to satisfy increasing demand from the general public and especially corporate sales.
“Our custom chocolate program where companies can brand the chocolate themselves with logos, customize the packaging, etc. has been also rapidly expanding in the past couple of years,” said Grahm. “People really want unique and specialized gifts, and that’s what we offer at Compartès – chocolate as art, but also as fashion and design and pop culture really.
“We can customize chocolate in endless ways while keeping the flavors and designs elevated and luxe, yet playful and funky.”
Compartés, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary next year, also operates two shops in Brentwood and Beverly Hills.
