Meet Michael Khachanov | Chocolatier

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Khachanov and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always wanted to start a business. In the past, I approached that goal by asking the classic questions: What’s viable? What’s scalable? What solves a clear need? But none of those attempts stuck—because I had overlooked the most important question: What do I actually love doing?

I didn’t set out to start a chocolate business. I’ve just always loved chocolate—since I was a kid. Over the years, that love evolved into an appreciation for artisanal, high-quality confections. About a decade ago, I started making chocolate bars and truffles for fun, sharing them with friends, maybe even impressing a girl I was seeing. Eventually, I took a class on tempering and bon bons (my favorite chocolate treat), and something clicked. I became obsessed with the craft—learning, refining, experimenting with flavor. Hosting friends, I loved having something unique to offer, and people began asking if they could buy them for gifts and holidays.

From a purely practical business perspective, chocolate didn’t seem like the obvious choice. But this was something I was going to keep doing no matter what, so I leaned in. I formalized the operation, named it Khacao (a play on my last name and “cacao”), got licensed, and built a brand rooted in care, creativity, and quality. The business has grown steadily each year, mostly through word of mouth, and I’m continuing to explore where it can go. What started as a passion has quietly become something much more, a way to share joy, one bon bon at a time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m excited for Khacao to keep growing. Right now, the heart of the business is single-origin chocolate bon bons, made with ethically sourced Ecuadorian cacao from farmer cooperatives committed to sustainable practices. The chocolate itself is exceptional, full of flavor and integrity, and I pair it with thoughtful fillings made from real, high-quality ingredients. I’ll be expanding soon into new flavors and offerings, including an artisanal chocolate hazelnut butter that I’m proud to say is among the best you can find.

What sets Khacao apart is that it’s personal. I start by making something I would be a customer of. If I fall in love with it, I trust others will feel the same. Behind that is a diverse and integrated mix of influences: I have a background in finance, supply chain, and acting, which might seem like an odd trio, but it’s been a gift. Those paths taught me how to think creatively, solve problems, and stay committed to craft. They’ve all shaped how I approach chocolate, not just as a product, but as an experience.

The journey hasn’t always been easy. I’ve had to start over more than once, moving from the corporate world to acting, and now to entrepreneurship. But I’ve learned that starting over doesn’t mean starting from scratch. Each chapter has informed the next. The real throughline has been learning to trust that nothing is wasted, that every skill, every setback, and every reinvention carries something forward.

Khacao is built on care, care for ingredients, for process, and for the person enjoying each bite. I’m excited to grow the brand, not by cutting corners, but by scaling the spirit behind it: down-to-earth, elevated, and always rooted in joy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This will be a bit food and dessert centric..in no particular order, I would want to make sure we did the following:

Get a breakfast burrito at Corner Cottage in Burbank, it’s family-run cash-only place that has been around for decades. There’s always a line, so best to get there early.
Get a breakfast burrito and a Kouign-Amann at any Erewhon (Kouign-Amann is my favorite pastry, and out of all the ones I’ve tried in LA, Erewhon happens to have the best one in my opinion).
See a Groundlings show, they’re amazing.
Stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store.
Pasadena day. Get a Chocolate Croissant at CAR Artisan Chocolate, then explore Huntington Gardens, then dinner at Sushi Karen, a hole-in-the-wall sushi place with just a few tables, run by an adorable couple, and then ice cream at Kinrose Creamery. I’ve had a lot of ice cream in my life, and Kinrose may be the best I’ve had.
Do the Solstice Canyon hike in Malibu, then get a nice bottle of sake and enjoy it with a meal at Malibu Seafood, an awesome, unpretentious BYOB seafood spot with outdoor picnic table seating with a perfect view of the ocean right across the street.
Take a day trip to Ojai for some local farm to table food and spend a couple hours browsing Bart’s Books, a charming outdoor bookstore.
Go to Santa Monica for Sidecar Donuts in the morning, especially on a Friday when they have the Apple Fritter. Then enjoy a walk along ocean ave as well as the third street promenade, and finish with dinner at Din Tai Fung.
Beach day at Venice Beach, then a meal at Great White.

It’s a full week, but I promise your taste buds will thank you.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In short—my wife (the girl I impressed). Her love, support, and ability to offer a more expansive way of looking at things when I feel stuck have been invaluable. I’m also deeply grateful to the teachers and mentors from my time in the USC MFA Acting program. That was a transformative chapter in my life where I came to understand the meaning of craft and the importance of dedicating myself to it. While the training was in acting, the lessons apply to all forms of craftsmanship, and they continue to shape the way I approach chocolate, work, and life.

A book that had a lasting impact on me is In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I read it in my twenties, and it completely shifted the way I thought about food. It helped me realize that much of what I was eating wasn’t actually food at all. That book was instrumental in developing my appreciation for real, high-quality ingredients—and it played a quiet but pivotal role in the creation of Khacao.

So much of what I do now is rooted in those influences. Khacao wouldn’t exist without them.

Website: https://www.khacao.com

Instagram: @khachanov

Image Credits
All photos taken by Mehrnaz Mohammadi.