Kilwins

Coordinates: 45°22′55″N 84°56′41″W / 45.381997°N 84.944692°W / 45.381997; -84.944692

Kilwins
Privately held company
Industry Confectionery production
Founded Petoskey, Michigan (1947)
Founder Don & Katy Kilwin
Headquarters Petoskey, Michigan, United States
Number of locations
 125[1]
Area served
 United States
Products Chocolates, ice cream
Website kilwins.com

Kilwins, also known as Kilwins Chocolates, is an American company founded in 1947 and based in Petoskey, Michigan[2] that specializes in confectioneries such as candy, ice cream, and fudge. The company operates 120 stores in the United States, in 23 states. The company's owners helped to establish the South Africa Medical Expedition (SAME), an organization that assists people in the Keyalani Village, located in Limpopo Province.

History

A Kilwins in Madison, Wisconsin

Kilwin's was founded in 1947 as "Kilwin's Candies and Gifts" by Don and Katey Kilwin in Petoskey. The company began as a mom-and-pop bakery and candy operation, and the next year expanded to making fudge in-house.[3] They sold off the bakery portion of their business in 1971 so that they could concentrate on candy production. In 1976, a second branch was opened in Traverse City, Michigan by Jim Szocinski, who first worked for the company in 1961.[4]

The company was sold to Wayne and Lorene Rose in 1978, and three years later, they began to franchise.[5] In 1995, the company was purchased by Don and Robin McCarty.[3] By 2007, the couple had expanded the business to more than 60 locations.[3]

As of July 2018, the company operates 120 stores nationwide in 23 states.[6][1] About half of these locations are located in popular tourist destinations, such as near resorts and at beaches.[7][8] The company has a few franchises located across the country as well that are not owned by the corporation.[9]The company is currently in the process of selling more franchises and expanding the number of company–owned locations across the country.[10][11]

Entrepreneur magazine lists Kilwins in the top 100 of its Franchise 500 Rankings.[12]

Production

The company is best known for chocolates, fudge, and ice cream, but also makes other sweets including barks, brittles, candies, clusters, taffy, truffles, and chocolate-covered pretzels, Oreos, and Rice Krispies.[13][14] The stores allow customers to watch staff produce the confectioneries.[15][16] The company uses marble tables, which cools the fudge from the bottom.[17] Ice cream is produced at the company's main facility in Petoskey.[8][18]. Kilwin's has been described by some as 'old fashioned sweets'. [19] In 2018, Kilwins was one of the food vendors for Lollapalooza.[20]

Franchise costs

Kilwins' initial franchise fee is $40,000[21]

Lease & rent

Kilwins requires franchisees to purchase leases or space if they don't currently own locations for their stores. To lease/rent is about $3000 USD.[21]. The rent of all sizes of stores that opened in the mid 2010s is between $19.00 and $59.81 per sq foot per year.

Kilwins provides style guides and construction permits and they hire an architect and contractor and obtain permits.[21]

Equipment

Kilwins requires franchisees to purchase equipment for the stores such as refrigirators, freezers, stoves, sinks and the sort. If you enter into a Equipment Management Agreement, Kilwins will pay the cost for the equipment (which without doing so would cost over $100,000) [21]

Inventory

The inventory cost for franchisees is about $20,000. If you go the Kilwins build in store route, Kilwins will install an opening merchandising inventory customized for the store it is being installed in.[21]

Marketing and insurance

Kilwins assists franchisees in marketing that is appropriate to the market where the Kilwins is located (ie tourist area, suburb etc). This can cost around 7000 USD. Franchisees must purchase general liability insurance with minimum limits of 1,000,000 and maximum limits of 2,000,000 in the aggregate. Third parties will supply this as this is the only way to obtain this. This requirement excludes Kilwins that are located along Florida coasts.[21]

Philanthropy

Kilwins' owners, Don and Robin McCarty, helped found the grassroots organization South Africa Medical Expedition (SAME), which helps South African orphans, women and families in Limpopo Province, Keyalani Village. The focus is on impoverished or HIV/AIDS infected children.[22].

References

  1. 1 2 Prestidge, Holly (June 20, 2018). "Kilwins ice cream and chocolate shop opening in Carytown late summer". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Christopher Kissel, Donald Nienas Jr". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Candy making ban may be lifted". baltimoresun.com. 2007-09-09. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  4. ↑ "Newsmakers". Traverse City Record-Eagle. February 17, 1977. p. 23.
  5. ↑ "Our History and Timeline". Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Kilwins Store Locations". Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ Porta, Sharon (November 25, 2005). "Kilwin's Makes Mayden voyage into Indiana". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 Walters, Kevin (April 17, 2014). "Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen coming to downtown Franklin". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  9. ↑ Martinez, Shandra. "Kilwins Chocolate shop in downtown Grand Rapids may reopen". MLive. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Kilwins Chocolates Franchise Inc". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Franchise Opportunities". Kilwins Franchise. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "Our Franchise 500 List: the Definitive Ranking of 2018's Strongest Franchises". Entrepreneur. January 11, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Kilwin's Comes To South Beach (And Today Is 2-For-1 Waffle Cone Wednesday!)". miaminewtimes.com. 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  14. ↑ Silverman, Alexa (June 28, 2018). "Kilwins is what ice cream dreams are made of". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  15. ↑ Harris, Patricia; Lyon, David. Food Lovers' Guide to Rhode Island (1st ed.). Morris Book Publishing. p. 225.
  16. ↑ McMillan, Susan (August 6, 2008). "Shop owner offers sweet spot downtown". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Kilwin's of Gettysburg candy shop opens today". The Gettysburg Times. April 16, 1993. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Hinke, Veronica (July 7, 2016). "Inside Scoop: 5 Flavorful Reasons to Scream for Ice Cream". Chicago Tribune.
  19. ↑ "Tango's back, Halsted Street's closed, Le Chocolat opens second store". Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  20. ↑ "Lollapalooza Announces Over 35 Food Vendors". NBC Chicago. NBC Chicago. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Franchise Costs: Detailed Estimates of Kilwins Chocolates Franchise Costs (2017 FDD)". Franchise Chatter. Franchise Chatter. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  22. ↑ "Robin and Don McCarty: The blessing of being able to give back". petoskeynews.com. 2009-12-28. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
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