If you’re from the Midwest, then chances are high you have already encountered a Kilwins Chocolate business. The original Kilwins was founded in 1947 as a mom-and-pop bakery and cafe operation in the coastal resort community of Petoskey, Michigan. The company’s focus on what is often described as “old-fashioned sweets” along with processes like the use of marble tables to cool fudge and allowing customers to watch confectioneries as they work was a big hit and new locations and franchisees started popping up throughout the subsequent decades. The Kilwins Chocolates & Ice Cream on this Pensacola Beach Boardwalk is one such independent franchisee, bringing those classic Michigander sweet tastes and traditions to a southern coastal community.
Kilwins Pensacola Beach is located right on the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk, a massive on-the-beach shopping plaza that stretches just east of the Pensacola Beach Toll Bridge where it crosses over the water. The beach here is lovely to walk along, and you will often see boats zipping around the massive dock that stretches out from the center of the boardwalk shops. These attractions combined with the many retail shops of the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk set the stage for a perfect place to enjoy a stroll with your favorite ice cream flavor in hand.
Tasty ice cream flavors are of particular popularity at Kilwins Pensacola Beach. This location routinely serves 24 of the Kilwins Original Recipe, super-premium Ice Cream flavors. Best of all, you can get your favorite choice of ice cream served in a freshly-made signature Waffle Cone made right in-house. You may even happen to come during a time when those cones are being made, with their open kitchen offering an exciting glimpse into the inner workings of a chocolatier and ice cream shop.
While ice cream is undoubtedly the most popular product at Kilwins Pensacola Beach due to the almost endless-summer nature of Pensacola Beach itself, this is certainly not all that this business has to offer. Kilwins Pensacola Beach is also popular for its fudge and similar candy items. Just about any time you walk into this location, you will see fresh fudge brewing in a copper kettle or get to watch as it’s poured across a massive marble slab to cool and loaf. All fudge is available for a taste test as well as being sold in small chunks that weigh a couple of ounces or large ones several pounds heavy. If you’re not sure about a flavor, you can just ask one of the friendly chocolatiers to help guide you to that perfect taste for you.
Kilwins Pensacola Beach boasts a bright and airy interior with high, industrial ceilings that are in most of the businesses within the boardwalk. There are several separated food preparation and counter areas, each with its own specialty of sweets. As noted before, you can go to one area to watch the waffle cones being made or another to see the fudge being cooked and various chocolate sweets, such as chocolate-covered strawberries, being prepared. There is also, of course, the ice cream area where the daily flavors are arranged and available for tasting and purchasing.
There, unfortunately, isn’t any inside seating, but you will find several umbrellaed tables and benches just outside the location if your group decides to pause and enjoy the treats on-site.
Insider Tip:
The Pensacola Beach Boardwalk where Kilwins Pensacola Beach is located often hosts events, and pretty big ones at that. There is a shell-shaped amphitheater at the center of the plaza where bands often play and where vendors set up for festivals like the annual Pensacola Beach Art & Wine Festival. If you are only in town for a short while, we recommend looking up events at the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk to coordinate an exciting visit to this spot and Kilwins Pensacola Beach. Or, alternatively, if you want to avoid crowds, this information will likewise be good in another way!