Financing

How Kilwins is adapting to life under new owners

A Deeper Dive: Brian Britton, CEO of the ice cream and chocolate chain, joins the podcast to talk about how a brand adapts to being owned by a private-equity firm.

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. 

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify.

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.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Burger King proves that heavy discounts aren’t always necessary

The Bottom Line: The fast-food chain generated a strong first quarter, despite a tough environment, largely by focusing on its operations and its food.

Beverage

As cocktails hit $30-plus, consumers are opting to drink less—or stay home

Rising costs are pushing prices up at the bar, and consumers are pre-gaming to cut costs. Can restaurants and bars win them back with a more engaging experience?

Marketing

Raising a toast to the Mother’s Day traffic rush

Marketing Bites: The holiday is traditionally the busiest day of the year for restaurants, and the industry could use the bump.

Trending

More from our partners