Kilwins Hendersonville Opens Under New Ownership This Year Written by Rosa Fallon
Kilwins Hendersonville has made a comeback, recently reopening its doors in January under new ownership. New owners Ashley and Landon Clark have been Kilwins franchise owners since 2013 and already own four other Kilwins locations in Highlands, Brevard, Greenville, South Carolina, and Franklin, Tennessee. The Clarks are excited to serve Hendersonville, NC and continue the legacy of Kilwins in the community. Kilwins, a well-known and beloved American staple, has been providing hand-crafted chocolates, caramel apples, ice cream, and other delicious confections since 1947. Just like other Kilwins stores, the Hendersonville location features an open kitchen where customers can watch the products being freshly made.
Kilwins Owner Ashley Clark graduated from Clemson University in 2012 and had plans to pursue law school. After college, she worked at a law firm in her hometown of Forest City, NC but was not satisfied with her work. Sensing Ashley’s entrepreneurial spirit, her dad gave her the idea to open a Kilwins shop. Ashley’s parents were introduced to Kilwins in Blowing Rock, NC by Ashley’s twin brother, and they fell in love with the brand.
In 2013, the Clarks opened their first Kilwins store in Greenville, South Carolina. They worked every day, operating the store together daily for five years. It was at the 5-year mark that their business started taking off, and they sold their home in Greenville in order to purchase an existing Kilwins store in Highlands, NC. They moved to Highlands in February 2019 on the same day that they found out they were pregnant with their first daughter, Talulabelle, who is now two years old. In February 2021, the Clarks opened their third Kilwins location in Brevard, NC. That same month, they welcomed their second baby girl, Mary Myers. They purchased an existing Kilwins location in Franklin, Tennessee in June 2021 and are currently working on opening another location in Nashville. “It’s always fun to open a new store,” Ashley says of the process. “I love remodeling and reorganizing inside, and bringing on new team members who we get to develop relationships with.”
The Clarks have also received recognition for their growing business. In 2018, Ashley was awarded as the South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the US Small Business Administration, and in 2021 she received the first ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.
While Ashley is the outspoken visionary and is the driving force behind the business, she says it is an equally yoked venture between her and Landon. “Being able to work together with your spouse is something I love; it’s not always easy, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t do it.” A power duo, Ashley and Landon juggle their business and parental responsibilities as a team, switching off taking care of their girls and visiting stores on a weekly basis. Ashley says that they enjoy the flexibility that comes with owning their own business because they get to spend more time with their children. Their favorite part about the business is a tie between the product and the people. “We always say we came for the product and stayed for the people!” Ashley expresses. “It’s just a really great, fun, and happy place to be.”
When customers walk through the door of one of their Kilwins shops, the Clarks want them to feel welcomed, but they also want them to know that they are supporting a true small business in Hendersonville. “We want people to know that just because Kilwins is a chain, doesn’t make it any less local,” Ashley points out. “We independently own a franchise, and so structurally, we are no different than the mom-and-pop down the street, and we will continue to remain engaged in the community and do our best to take care of it.”
Right now, some of the Clarks’ favorite items on the menu are chocolate-covered strawberries, milk chocolate-covered buckeyes, the infamous toasted coconut ice cream, and hot chocolate steamed with whole milk and Kilwins dark chocolate. “It’s phenomenal,” Ashley gushes. Operated by local resident Jamie Dysart, Kilwins in Hendersonville now remains open Sundays through Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM to satisfy your sweet tooth and chocolate cravings.
Kilwins Hendersonville
506 N Main St
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828)-698-9794
www.kilwins.com/stores/kilwins-hendersonville
Photo Credit: Anna Toner
