Godiva Opens New Café Concept in Manhattan, The First of 2,000 Planned U.S. Locations

In a move designed to increase its revenue fivefold by 2025, Belgian chocolatier Godiva is entering the restaurant industry. According to a recent Associated Press article , the brand is moving beyond chocolate to launch a new brick-and-mortar café concept that it plans to grow to 2,000 locations over the next six years.

Godiva’s first café location officially opened in Manhattan on Wednesday. According to the article, the brand’s foray into prepared meals as a vehicle for growth was spearheaded by CEO Annie Young-Scrivner, who joined the brand in 2017 after a stint at Starbucks.

While Godiva doesn't appear to be growing its new concept through franchising, this aggressive entry into the market by an established brand with strong recognition and money to spend shouldn't be taken lightly by other brands in the breakfast and lunch restaurant segment.

Maddie has spent her career in the media industry, serving in various editorial roles before migrating into a hybrid content strategy and PR role with No Limit Agency. Her passion for storytelling and love of writing help her create meaningful content on behalf of her clients and fulfill No Limit Agency’s mission to tell people-driven stories. Maddie is a graduate of Saint Louis University, where she studied Communications with a focus in journalism and media studies as well as Sports Business.

In her spare time, Maddie can be found exploring Chicago’s food scene, watching an NBA game or lamenting over her middling fantasy baseball team.