Leonidas (chocolate maker) facts for kids
|
Trade name
|
Leonidas |
|---|---|
| Société anonyme (public limited) | |
| Industry | Confectionery manufacturing |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Founder | Leonidas Kestekides |
| Headquarters | Boulevard Jules Graindor 41–43,
1070 Anderlecht
,
|
|
Number of locations
|
1,030 points of sale (2019) |
|
Key people
|
P. de Selliers de Moranville (CEO) |
| Revenue |
|
| US$6.08 million (2018) | |
|
Number of employees
|
347 (2018) |
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Leonidas is a well-known brand of chocolate from Belgium. The company, called Confiserie Leonidas S.A., was started in 1913. Its founder was a man named Leonidas Kestekides.
Leonidas is famous for its delicious Belgian chocolate. In 2019, the company had over 1,030 shops. These shops are located in 32 different countries. Many of them are run by local owners, like a special kind of partnership.
Contents
The Story of Leonidas Chocolates
From Humble Beginnings to World Fairs
Leonidas Kestekides was born in 1882 in a place called Nigdi, which is now in Turkey. He came from a Greek family. When he was young, he sold sweet treats like 'granitas', which are a type of sorbet. He did this with his brother, Avraam.
In 1900, Leonidas decided to move to the United States. There, he learned how to make sweets and became a confectioner.
His journey brought him to Brussels, Belgium, in 1910. He took part in the World Fair there. Leonidas won a bronze medal for his sweets! While in Brussels, he met Joanna Emelia Teerlinck.
Opening the First Shop
Leonidas and Joanna moved to Ghent, another city in Belgium. In 1913, Ghent hosted a big international exhibition. Leonidas won a gold medal there! This was a huge achievement.
After winning the gold medal, Leonidas opened his very first shop. It was a tearoom located at 34 Veldstraat in Ghent.
Family Joins the Business
From 1922, more of Leonidas' family members came to Belgium. They joined him to help with the growing business. One important person was his nephew, Vassilios Kestekides. Everyone called him Basilio.
Leonidas was very creative with recipes. Basilio was good at business. Together, they had many ideas to make the company bigger. The business grew too large for just Ghent. So, Leonidas moved to Brussels. He opened a new shop there called "Pâtisserie Centrale Leonidas." He left the Ghent shop to other family members. Basilio joined him in Brussels.
The Famous Window Shop
Basilio worked very hard in Brussels. He made chocolates in a small workshop at night. In the mornings, he sold them from a horse-drawn cart. He drove around the neighborhoods, sharing his tasty treats.
In 1935, the police told him he couldn't sell from his cart anymore. He had to sell from a proper store. So, Basilio rented a small room. But this room didn't have a door to the main street. What could he do?
Basilio had a brilliant idea! He opened the only window in the room. He displayed his chocolates right on the windowsill. This was a new and exciting way to sell! People walking by could smell the delicious chocolate. They could buy it right from the window. This "sliding window" way of selling became a special trademark for Leonidas for many years.
The Leonidas Brand and Growth
In 1937, Basilio officially registered the Leonidas brand. He chose the brand's look and logo carefully. It honored his uncle's Greek roots. The logo features the image of Leonidas I, a famous king from ancient Sparta. This king was known for his bravery.
Leonidas Kestekides passed away on February 20, 1948. Basilio was determined to continue his uncle's vision. Leonidas wanted to make "luxury accessible to all." This meant making high-quality chocolates that everyone could afford. The company focused on making more chocolates to keep prices low.
For many years, the shops' signs were the only advertisement. But in 1985, Leonidas had to put an ad in newspapers. It was a very unusual ad! Instead of selling chocolates, it asked people to stop asking to open new shops. The company simply couldn't make enough chocolates to meet the huge demand!
The Manon Chocolate Story
One of Leonidas' most famous chocolates is the "Manon." Basilio, Leonidas' nephew, created it.
The first Manon had a creamy butter filling. It sat on a crunchy nougatine base. It was dipped in melted sugar. Basilio wanted to try new things. So, he experimented with a white chocolate coating.
Later, he changed the recipe again. The butter cream was placed on a white chocolate praliné base. Even in 1980, each Manon was made by hand. Every single walnut was placed on the praline by hand!
As demand grew, Basilio's brother, Yanni, wanted to make production faster. He also wanted to make sure everything was super clean. Walnuts were tricky to roast and store. So, Yanni replaced them with hazelnuts. Hazelnuts could be roasted and stored more easily. Yanni perfected the Manon recipe, and it hasn't changed since!
Another brother, Alexandre, also joined the company. He had a strong science background. He helped create new flavors and ways to make chocolates. Alexandre even built the company's first machine!
On November 15, 2013, Leonidas received a special honor. The company became a certified supplier to the Belgian royal family. This means the royal family enjoys Leonidas chocolates! In 2018, almost everyone (91%) knew the Leonidas brand.
