How Kilwins is adapting to life under new owners

How is Kilwins adapting to life under new owners?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Brian Britton, CEO of the treat chain Kilwins.

Kilwins operates experiential chocolate and ice cream shops, mostly in tourist spots. It has picked up its growth in recent years and finished 2025 with 187 locations, according to data from Technomic.

We wanted to talk to Brian to get a sense about how life has changed since the company was sold to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners.

The private-equity firm bought Kilwins in 2023. Brian talks about everything the chain has done since then, including a lot of work to update the brand.

But we also talk about the business of selling chocolate and ice cream, the company’s expansion strategies and why the experiential nature of the brand is so vital these days.

It’s a sweet podcast episode this week, so please check it out.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Restaurant Business Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze is a longtime industry journalist who writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants.

View All Articles by This Author