Photo credit: Claresa Waight
Rick Clark (left) and Bj Gruling (right) own Kilwins Milwaukee at the Bayshore Town Center.
“Mix a little science with chocolate, and great confections appear,” BJ Gruling and Rick Clark claim. The two men left their careers in the scientific and medical fields to operate a locally owned confectionery, Kilwins Milwaukee, located at the Bayshore Town Center. Rick, a Canadian, and BJ, an American, met working at a hospital in Saudi Arabia and returned to North America, landing in Milwaukee. As the store’s fifth anniversary looms, the owners agreed to talk to Off the Cuff about their venture.
Can you explain how you came to operate Kilwins Milwaukee?
It was the draw of Lake Michigan. With our background in science and health care, we took the entrepreneurial leap to open our own business and opening a Kilwins store in Milwaukee seemed like the perfect fit. We wanted to be a locally owned business, and Kilwins Milwaukee became a place where we know our customers by name and what their favorite treats are. Today, we have a much broader business, working with our local businesses and community, making them personalized treat trays, gift baskets, ice cream sundae bars and more. We find out what a customer’s vision is, then we create a personalized product.
Why do you think our readers should go to your store?
Our candy kitchen is right in the front of store and complete with big copper kettles and marble table. The first thing people notice is the incredible smell of whatever we are handcrafting from fudge, caramel apples, caramel corns, brittles made with peanuts, pecans or cashews or our very own hot fudge. What sets us apart is our own fair-trade Kilwins Heritage Chocolate. We offer white chocolate, milk chocolate and various dark chocolates, including single-origin, 80% dark from Peru, Ivory Coast and the Dominican Republic. There are also a variety of chocolates and truffles to choose from. All of our ice cream and many of our chocolates are certified Kosher.
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You provide sweet treats for events around Milwaukee, including the recent LGBTQ Progress Awards. Why?
We support as many of our local organizations as possible, with a focus on health care and the underserved, especially in-need youth. The Progress Awards recognizes individuals and organizations who also support that goal; we are involved in the LGBTQ community where there is such a need for support. We also support our local schools, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation, Discovery World and the American Cancer Society to mention a few. We also offer a 10% discount on all purchases for our military and veterans every day. We want to be a part of a safe and healthy community.
Fall and the store’s fifth anniversary are almost here. Do you intend to do anything special for these circumstances?
Fall is caramel apple season. We start with our own caramel recipe and hand-stir the caramel for one-and-a-half hours in a copper kettle until it’s just right; then we dip a crisp, tart Granny Smith apple and add peanuts, pecans, chocolate and other toppings to create a variety of flavors. Another fall favorite is our Perfect Apple Pie Ice Cream with a rich caramel swirl, chunks of apples and pastry pieces, which is perfect in our house-made waffle cone.
Beginning on Friday, Sept. 20, for our anniversary, we will be offering anniversary specials throughout the weekend. We will have free samples of our Kilwins Gourmet Cake and ice cream cakes, mini ice cream sundaes and free caramel corn. Customers will have the opportunity to enter drawings for various items, such as a Neroli Salon & Spa gift card package, fudge for a year and other great prizes. Of course, we can’t have an anniversary party without fun stickers and balloons for the kids.
