Kilwins

Kilwins was founded in 1947 in Petoskey, Michigan, by Don and Katy Kilwin. Originally opened as a bakery, the business began offering chocolates and confections during the slower winter months in this highly seasonal Northern Michigan town. As these hand-crafted treats grew in popularity, the Kilwins chose to sell the bakery portion of the business and focus exclusively on chocolate, confections, and candy making, laying the foundation for the Kilwins brand we know today.

Yes. Kilwins is a franchised business model. Independent owners can open and operate their own Kilwins stores under the Kilwins Chocolates Franchise, Inc. system, following the brand’s proven business model and standards. Kilwins has been franchising for decades and continues to grow with franchise locations across the United States, offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to bring hand-crafted chocolates, fudge, and ice cream to their communities. Explore franchising opportunities .

Kilwins has grown to more than 185 retail locations, supported by a passionate network of franchisees who bring the Kilwins experience to their local communities.

Yes, Kilwins can be considered a chain, but more specifically, it is a franchise chain. Kilwins operates as a network of independently owned and operated franchise locations. While all stores share the same brand, products, and standards, most locations are owned by local franchisees rather than the company itself. This allows Kilwins to maintain consistency across the brand while still having strong local ownership and community involvement at each store.

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

Kilwins was founded in Petoskey, Michigan in 1947 and is still headquartered there today. The corporate offices and chocolate kitchen are located at 1050 Bay View Road, Petoskey, MI 49770, which serves as the principal place of business for the company.

The original Kilwins store where the company was founded was in downtown Petoskey, Michigan, and from that original shop, the business eventually expanded and moved its franchise offices, company-owned store, and chocolate kitchen to its current location at 1050 Bay View Road in Petoskey.