National Chocolate Chain Opens First CT Store In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — For months, the Facebook page of West Hartford's latest foray into the delectable world of chocolate has put visions of fudge-covered everything into chocoholics' heads.

Kilwins, a national chain of chocolate, fudge and ice cream retailers, was coming to Hartford's Blue Back Square, ready to tempt sweet tooths in the area.

After being announced last summer, the sign at the shop at 38 Isham Road, West Hartford, finally said "open" on Wednesday.

And, so, the business adventure of Jay and Kathleen Allen had begun.

While Kilwins may be new to Connecticut — the West Hartford shop is the lone stop in the Nutmeg State— the name isn't new to much of the country.

Founded in 1947 by Don and Katy Kilwin in Petosky, Mich., Kilwin's has more than 150 franchises spread out across much of the U.S., mostly in the east, south and midwest.

The furthest west shops are located in Colorado, with the nearest Kilwins to Connecticut prior to West Hartford's opening being in Massachusetts (Cape Cod area) and Rhode Island (two locations in Newport).

The fundamental commodity found in Kilwins is the so-called "Heritage Chocolate," which covers everything from pretzel sticks and apples and marshmallows to caramel, nougat and other confectionary favorites.

Of course, the "Heritage Chocolate" also tastes fine just by itself, as any chocolate lover can attest.

But there's more sweet menu offerings, according to the store's social media pages: original hand-paddled Mackinac Island Fudge; original-recipe ice cream; and hand-crafted caramel corn and brittle.

For more information on the Kilwins chain, click on this link.

For the Kilwins West Hartford Facebook page, click on this link.

For more information on Blue Back Square in West Hartford, click on this link.