Kilwins

Kilwins, American hand-crafted confectionery since 1947

Kilwins is an American confectionery and ice cream chain founded in 1947 by Don and Katy Kilwin in Petoskey, Michigan. The business initially opened as a small bakery, and during the winter months, when activity in that part of northern Michigan was slower, its founders began making chocolates and confections. The popularity of these products led to the sale of the bakery and to an exclusive focus on chocolate, confections, and candy making.

Products and production

The company's catalog centers on several product families: chocolate, fudge, ice cream, ice cream cakes, caramel apples, caramel corn and brittle, sorbetto, and a line called Dubai Chocolate, in addition to the Chocolate-on-the-Inside range. The company describes its offering as a sensory experience that engages sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound.

Part of the production takes place in the stores themselves using traditional methods. Examples cited include waffle cones made in-store, fudge hand-paddled in copper kettles and cooled on marble tables, and caramel corn made the old-fashioned way. Other products, such as Almond Toffee Crunch, are hand-crafted in the cold room following time-honored techniques.

Process, quality control, and raw materials

The company states that it controls every stage of creating and delivering its chocolates and confections, combining heritage equipment used for decades with modern technology. Since 1965, it has molded and enrobed chocolates using its own processes, supported by advanced milling equipment that allows it to develop specific chocolate blends. The process begins with cocoa beans and ends with chocolates molded or enrobed in the stores.

The company states that it uses Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate made in the United States.

Franchise model and store network

Kilwins operates as a franchise under Kilwins Chocolates Franchise, Inc. Independent owners can open and manage their own stores following the brand's model and standards. The company has been franchising for decades, and its network exceeds 185 locations, most of them managed by local franchisees rather than by the company itself.

The corporate headquarters and chocolate kitchen are located at 1050 Bay View Road, Petoskey, MI 49770, which serves as the company's principal place of business. The original store, located in downtown Petoskey, was the starting point from which the business expanded to its current location.

Recognition and ownership

According to the company itself, the brand has ranked first in the candy, ice cream, and frozen desserts category of Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500® list for ten consecutive years.

Kilwins is owned by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, which acquired the company in 2023. The previous majority owners, Don and Robin McCarty, who had controlled the company since 1995, retained a minority stake after the sale.

Location and contact

1050 Bay View Road, Petoskey, MI 49770