NORTHVILLE — Another sweet addition will join the wave of new businesses downtown.
Kilwins, the beloved confectionery and ice cream shop with roots in Petoskey, is set to open its doors at 191 CadyCenter in mid-December.
The new location is owned by South Lyon residents Keleigh and Bryan Styles, who say opening a Kilwins in Northville feels like a natural fit.
“We’ve always loved coming to Northville for coffee, events and weekends,” Keleigh Styles said. “It’s such a great town, and it felt like the perfect community for something like Kilwins.”
The idea took root on an anniversary trip to Saugatuck, where the couple wandered into a Kilwins and noticed a poster advertising franchise opportunities.
With her homeschooling years coming to an end – her youngest had just started high school – Keleigh felt ready to take on a new chapter.
The family quickly began exploring opportunities and settled on Northville after finding the former Urban You medical spa space.
The site is now stripped to the studs as it undergoes a full transformation.
The new Kilwins will feature a black-and-white design package, fresh slate tile floors, and the signature open kitchen where guests can watch fudge being paddled on marble slabs and waffle cones baked daily.
The shop will offer Kilwins’ full lineup: hand-paddled Mackinac Island Fudge, caramel apples, hand-dipped chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels and cookies, numerous flavors of ice cream and more.
Styles won’t be running the store alone. Her son Joshua, who graduates from Washtenaw Technical Middle College this spring with both a high school diploma and associate degree in business, will join her as a partner.
“He’s super energetic and such a people person,” she said. “He even had regulars at Dairy Queen when he worked there. We’re very close, and I can’t wait to work with him on this.”
Renovations are on schedule for a Dec. 16 opening, and Styles is excited to welcome guests with Kilwins’ signature hot chocolate, made from shaved heritage chocolate.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “We’ll have it ready just before we open, and we can’t wait to share it with the community.”
Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Kilwins to bring fudge, ice cream to downtown Northville
Reporting by Laura Colvin, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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