Closed Fort Collins Kilwins Gets Second Chance from New Franchisee

The dessert shop, which has been a staple in the city’s Old Town for nearly 30 years, will reopen later this spring.

Katie Porter
By Katie Porter Add a Comment
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Kilwins sweet shop was a favorite destination for many in Fort Collins for 26 years until the owner retired in August and it went dark. But a new article from BizWest revealed the chocolate and ice cream store at 114 S. College Ave. was purchased and will reopen next month in the same spot. 

Holli McElwee is the proud new owner of the Old Town Kilwins, and told What Now Denver she hopes to start serving customers in early May. The business filed permits to do small facelift projects on the interior and install a new awning for the store’s exterior.

News broke that the Fort Collins Kilwins would be closing in the summer of 2022 after former owner Nora Hill retired and couldn’t secure a seller in time. It had been a staple in the town since 1996 and many were sad to see it go, so McElwee is sure to be busy upon reopening.

She recently became a new franchisee with the Michigan-based brand, having been a fan of the location during her days as a college student at nearby Colorado State University. McElwee said the peanut brittle is one of her guilty pleasures.

“I knew I needed to make the leap to become an entrepreneur and create delicious products and priceless experiences for others to share with their own family and friends,” she told BizWest.

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Katie Porter is a freelance journalist and copywriter located in the Mile High City of Denver, covering the Colorado and SoCal restaurant scenes. She has always been a news junkie, keen to stay informed about what's going on in her community and the world, constantly on the lookout for interesting nuggets. Her articles have appeared in a variety of other publications, including 1851 Franchise, Estatenvy, Boulder Weekly, ThisSongisSick, el Don News, TheThings, Stache Cow, and more.
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