Leonidas: The Brand
1882: THE WORLD BELONGS TO THE DISCOVERERS
On July 18, Leonidas Georges Kestekides, the founder of Leonidas, is born in Anatolia. At 18, the ambitious Greek emigrates to the United States, where he learns the confectionery trade. There, he will create the world-famous brand that bears his first name: the beginning of an extraordinarily bright future.
1910: RECOGNITION AND LOVE IN BELGIUM
As part of the Greek-American delegation, Leonidas takes part in the World’s Fair in Brussels, where he presents his confectionery. The expo welcomes around 13 million visitors. Leonidas wins the Bronze Medal. His Belgian story has begun: he falls in love with Joanna Teerlinck, whom he marries in 1912. In 1913, they open a tearoom in Ghent. They have no children together, but Leonidas will stay in Belgium forever, much to the delight of Belgian chocolate lovers!
1913: GROWING TALENT
In 1913, Leonidas presents his latest creations at the Ghent World’s Fair. This time, he wins a Gold Medal and a special certificate. This marks the beginning of a passionate adventure that has been delighting taste buds for 100 years.
1922: FAMILY SPIRIT
Due to the political situation in Greece, Leonidas’s family moves to Ghent. Among them is Basilio, his 19-year-old nephew, whom he teaches the trade. A father-son relationship grows between the two men, having a particularly positive effect on the business: together, they create a range of delicious chocolates, bringing moments of pure pleasure to an ever-growing number of fans.
1924: ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
Leonidas opens “Pâtisserie Centrale Leonidas” on Paul Delvaux Street in Brussels. Basilio follows his uncle’s example and opens his own workshop at 58 Anspach Avenue. Basilio has a nose for business and understands exactly how to delight wealthy Brussels residents. At the time, chocolates are luxury products. Basilio and Leonidas share one mission: to make chocolates accessible to everyone. The shortest route to that goal? Straight from producer to consumer!
1935: THE GUILLOTINE WINDOW, LEONIDAS’ HALLMARK
Hardworking Basilio creates his confectionery and chocolates, then takes to the streets to sell them from his cart. The police reprimand him more than once for street trading, so he decides to turn his workshop into a shop. But it is so narrow that there is no room for a door. His workshop is in the shop window. Then he gets the idea of turning his workshop into a counter! And so he opens his first boutique with the famous “guillotine window,” which would become the hallmark of all the shops for a long time. Direct sales of chocolates to passersby, from the production workshop to the counter, with no loss of time or freshness. And above all, at a lower price, because Basilio dares to sell his chocolates for half the price charged by his competitors.
1937: LEONIDAS, THE “CHOCOLATE KING”
To protect his products, Basilio officially registers the Leonidas brand and logo. He chooses the warrior Leonidas, King of Sparta, as its symbol. Basilio deliberately chooses a strong figure to personify his brand, showcasing his ambition and, above all, his Greek roots and respect for his uncle. The logo is shown in a circle with “Leonidas Chocolates” above it. Leonidas gradually hands leadership over to Basilio, who steers the brand in the right direction with great skill. The founder dies in 1914 and leaves his business to his nephew.
1937-1950: FRESH, ALWAYS FRESH
The workshop at 58 Anspachlaan becomes too small, and Basilio moves to number 46: a large space still used by Leonidas today. Basilio asks the city of Brussels for a building permit to install a guillotine window in the façade, Leonidas’s trademark and the best way to maintain a close relationship with customers. Leonidas chocolates become increasingly renowned: they are appreciated for their freshness, quality, and fine chocolate flavor. Basilio uses only fresh ingredients: every morning, the milkman delivers fresh milk, cream, and butter to the workshop door. From the beginning, Leonidas has always made chocolates with top-quality ingredients, without vegetable fat, and with chocolate made from 100% cocoa butter, both for the filling and the coating of the chocolates.
1950: CHIC BOUTIQUE ON THE COAST
A period of intense growth begins for Basilio. He opens a “Laboratoire de Pralines” at number 20 Graanmarkt. To cater to his more sophisticated customers, he opens a tearoom in Blankenberge during the summer. The wealthy bourgeoisie immediately make it their second home. “Au Lion d’Or” is on the ground floor of one of the most prestigious hotels on the seafront. Holidaymakers enjoy themselves and feast on Leonidas chocolates, which have followed them to their holiday destination.
1950-1966: LEONIDAS, QUALITY AT THE LOWEST PRICE
The brand’s success multiplies, and one Leonidas boutique after another opens its doors in Brussels: Adolphe Maxlaan, Kleerkopersstraat, Naamse Poort. The people of Brussels can’t get enough of the elegantly packaged, handmade chocolates. They are fresh, delicious, and remarkably affordable: until 1966, the price for one hundred grams never exceeds 10 francs (25 euro cents).
1966: THE FIRST STORES OUTSIDE BRUSSELS
The first franchise store outside Brussels opens in Aalst. In 1969, the first franchise store opens in Lille, France. With the aim of running a thriving business, many entrepreneurs come knocking at Leonidas's door, and dozens of stores are added. Belgium enjoys a unique reputation as a chocolate specialist because Belgian chocolatiers have always ground cocoa beans very finely, making the chocolate so smooth. Leonidas dominates the market with affordable prices for superior quality.
1969: FROM MANON CAFÉ TO CRÈME DE LA CRÈME
Leonidas's success is founded on solid values, such as the famous Manon Café, with which many chocolate lovers associate Leonidas. The original Manon consisted of buttercream, crunchy nougatine, and a walnut covered in a sugar coating. Basilio prefers working with chocolate, so he replaces the sugar coating with white chocolate. In 1969, he replaces the nougatine with praliné, and eventually the walnut is replaced with a whole hazelnut. A bestseller that still leads the entire Leonidas range today.
1970-1985: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
On April 2, 1970, Basilio dies, and his brothers and sisters become heirs to «Confiserie Leonidas bvba». Jean Kesdekoglu-Kestekides runs the company from 1970 to 1985. The brand becomes more international, and Leonidas chocolates are sold in Belgium, the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Germany, at Harrods in London, and even in Athens. On March 29, 1979, Confiserie Leonidas becomes a public limited company. The 1970s and 1980s become Leonidas’s golden years. People can’t get enough of the chocolates with their fine chocolate. Production has to be increased, and nv Confiserie Leonidas buys the old Crown-Baele factory at 41-43 Graindor Avenue in Anderlecht, the company’s headquarters to this day. Maria Kesdekoglu-Kestekides assists her father Jean with day-to-day management.
1985: THE PRICE OF SUCCESS
After her father’s death, Maria Kesdekoglu-Kestekides takes over the reins. She is assisted by her brother Dimitrios Kestekoglou and their German cousin, Vassiliki Kestekidou. Production has increased considerably, but even so, in 1985 Leonidas has to place an advertisement for the first time in its history that is absolutely unique: Leonidas asks people with a business interest not to send in any more applications to open a new store, because production cannot keep up! Despite this, Leonidas never lets prices skyrocket. The company chooses to keep growing rather than punish consumers with higher prices.
1990-2000: NEW EXPANSIONS
To meet growing consumer demand, Leonidas expands further by purchasing the old Bel cheese factory building on Kommenstraat in Anderlecht. Leonidas continues to expand in the USA and, by the late 1990s, in Asia. The brand becomes the market leader. In 1993, a boutique opens on Boterstraat that will grow into the largest Leonidas store in the world, with a team of 20 employees. The boutique is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., to serve the continuous stream of tourists drawn to its beautiful display window. Leonidas chocolates sold around the world are all made in Belgium. Every morning, pallets full of chocolates leave the country so people around the world can enjoy them. Always with respect for Basilio’s four key words: freshness, quality, choice, and affordability.
2005: NEW STORES IN CHOCOLATE SHADES
The boutiques get a new look, and the guillotine-style display window disappears. All the stores adopt the new style, which reflects not only Leonidas’s innovative and dynamic side, but also embodies the brand’s freshness, generosity, and history. Customers are welcomed into a cozy setting with modern, light colors. A few stores still have guillotine-style display windows, including one because the space is tiny. This store is on Kleerkopersstraat in the heart of Brussels, just a few steps from Basilio’s first famous store with a guillotine-style display window.
2013: 100 YEARS OF PURE PLEASURE
Leonidas celebrates 100 years of craftsmanship and savoir-vivre. The founder’s “little chocolate laboratory” has come a long way without ever betraying its soul or its original ingredients: hazelnuts from Turkey, almonds from Italy, walnuts from Grenoble and Texas, and chocolate made from 100% cocoa butter. The finest-quality ingredients and an unchanged recipe continue to delight loyal customers.
Leonidas is determined to bring joy to everyone for many years to come!
2013/11/15: ON NOVEMBER 15, 2015
On this day, His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium announced his first list of Certified Suppliers to the Royal Court. Leonidas is privileged to be on this list, which was carefully compiled following a rigorous selection process in recognition of its outstanding quality and affordable prices. For the chocolatier, this appointment is the crowning achievement of the brand’s centenary.
On July 18, Leonidas Georges Kestekides, the founder of Leonidas, is born in Anatolia. At 18, the ambitious Greek emigrates to the United States, where he learns the confectionery trade. There, he will create the world-famous brand that bears his first name: the beginning of an extraordinarily bright future.
1910: RECOGNITION AND LOVE IN BELGIUM
As part of the Greek-American delegation, Leonidas takes part in the World’s Fair in Brussels, where he presents his confectionery. The expo welcomes around 13 million visitors. Leonidas wins the Bronze Medal. His Belgian story has begun: he falls in love with Joanna Teerlinck, whom he marries in 1912. In 1913, they open a tearoom in Ghent. They have no children together, but Leonidas will stay in Belgium forever, much to the delight of Belgian chocolate lovers!
1913: GROWING TALENT
In 1913, Leonidas presents his latest creations at the Ghent World’s Fair. This time, he wins a Gold Medal and a special certificate. This marks the beginning of a passionate adventure that has been delighting taste buds for 100 years.
1922: FAMILY SPIRIT
Due to the political situation in Greece, Leonidas’s family moves to Ghent. Among them is Basilio, his 19-year-old nephew, whom he teaches the trade. A father-son relationship grows between the two men, having a particularly positive effect on the business: together, they create a range of delicious chocolates, bringing moments of pure pleasure to an ever-growing number of fans.
1924: ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
Leonidas opens “Pâtisserie Centrale Leonidas” on Paul Delvaux Street in Brussels. Basilio follows his uncle’s example and opens his own workshop at 58 Anspach Avenue. Basilio has a nose for business and understands exactly how to delight wealthy Brussels residents. At the time, chocolates are luxury products. Basilio and Leonidas share one mission: to make chocolates accessible to everyone. The shortest route to that goal? Straight from producer to consumer!
1935: THE GUILLOTINE WINDOW, LEONIDAS’ HALLMARK
Hardworking Basilio creates his confectionery and chocolates, then takes to the streets to sell them from his cart. The police reprimand him more than once for street trading, so he decides to turn his workshop into a shop. But it is so narrow that there is no room for a door. His workshop is in the shop window. Then he gets the idea of turning his workshop into a counter! And so he opens his first boutique with the famous “guillotine window,” which would become the hallmark of all the shops for a long time. Direct sales of chocolates to passersby, from the production workshop to the counter, with no loss of time or freshness. And above all, at a lower price, because Basilio dares to sell his chocolates for half the price charged by his competitors.
1937: LEONIDAS, THE “CHOCOLATE KING”
To protect his products, Basilio officially registers the Leonidas brand and logo. He chooses the warrior Leonidas, King of Sparta, as its symbol. Basilio deliberately chooses a strong figure to personify his brand, showcasing his ambition and, above all, his Greek roots and respect for his uncle. The logo is shown in a circle with “Leonidas Chocolates” above it. Leonidas gradually hands leadership over to Basilio, who steers the brand in the right direction with great skill. The founder dies in 1914 and leaves his business to his nephew.
1937-1950: FRESH, ALWAYS FRESH
The workshop at 58 Anspachlaan becomes too small, and Basilio moves to number 46: a large space still used by Leonidas today. Basilio asks the city of Brussels for a building permit to install a guillotine window in the façade, Leonidas’s trademark and the best way to maintain a close relationship with customers. Leonidas chocolates become increasingly renowned: they are appreciated for their freshness, quality, and fine chocolate flavor. Basilio uses only fresh ingredients: every morning, the milkman delivers fresh milk, cream, and butter to the workshop door. From the beginning, Leonidas has always made chocolates with top-quality ingredients, without vegetable fat, and with chocolate made from 100% cocoa butter, both for the filling and the coating of the chocolates.
1950: CHIC BOUTIQUE ON THE COAST
A period of intense growth begins for Basilio. He opens a “Laboratoire de Pralines” at number 20 Graanmarkt. To cater to his more sophisticated customers, he opens a tearoom in Blankenberge during the summer. The wealthy bourgeoisie immediately make it their second home. “Au Lion d’Or” is on the ground floor of one of the most prestigious hotels on the seafront. Holidaymakers enjoy themselves and feast on Leonidas chocolates, which have followed them to their holiday destination.
1950-1966: LEONIDAS, QUALITY AT THE LOWEST PRICE
The brand’s success multiplies, and one Leonidas boutique after another opens its doors in Brussels: Adolphe Maxlaan, Kleerkopersstraat, Naamse Poort. The people of Brussels can’t get enough of the elegantly packaged, handmade chocolates. They are fresh, delicious, and remarkably affordable: until 1966, the price for one hundred grams never exceeds 10 francs (25 euro cents).
1966: THE FIRST STORES OUTSIDE BRUSSELS
The first franchise store outside Brussels opens in Aalst. In 1969, the first franchise store opens in Lille, France. With the aim of running a thriving business, many entrepreneurs come knocking at Leonidas's door, and dozens of stores are added. Belgium enjoys a unique reputation as a chocolate specialist because Belgian chocolatiers have always ground cocoa beans very finely, making the chocolate so smooth. Leonidas dominates the market with affordable prices for superior quality.
1969: FROM MANON CAFÉ TO CRÈME DE LA CRÈME
Leonidas's success is founded on solid values, such as the famous Manon Café, with which many chocolate lovers associate Leonidas. The original Manon consisted of buttercream, crunchy nougatine, and a walnut covered in a sugar coating. Basilio prefers working with chocolate, so he replaces the sugar coating with white chocolate. In 1969, he replaces the nougatine with praliné, and eventually the walnut is replaced with a whole hazelnut. A bestseller that still leads the entire Leonidas range today.
1970-1985: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
On April 2, 1970, Basilio dies, and his brothers and sisters become heirs to «Confiserie Leonidas bvba». Jean Kesdekoglu-Kestekides runs the company from 1970 to 1985. The brand becomes more international, and Leonidas chocolates are sold in Belgium, the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Germany, at Harrods in London, and even in Athens. On March 29, 1979, Confiserie Leonidas becomes a public limited company. The 1970s and 1980s become Leonidas’s golden years. People can’t get enough of the chocolates with their fine chocolate. Production has to be increased, and nv Confiserie Leonidas buys the old Crown-Baele factory at 41-43 Graindor Avenue in Anderlecht, the company’s headquarters to this day. Maria Kesdekoglu-Kestekides assists her father Jean with day-to-day management.
1985: THE PRICE OF SUCCESS
After her father’s death, Maria Kesdekoglu-Kestekides takes over the reins. She is assisted by her brother Dimitrios Kestekoglou and their German cousin, Vassiliki Kestekidou. Production has increased considerably, but even so, in 1985 Leonidas has to place an advertisement for the first time in its history that is absolutely unique: Leonidas asks people with a business interest not to send in any more applications to open a new store, because production cannot keep up! Despite this, Leonidas never lets prices skyrocket. The company chooses to keep growing rather than punish consumers with higher prices.
1990-2000: NEW EXPANSIONS
To meet growing consumer demand, Leonidas expands further by purchasing the old Bel cheese factory building on Kommenstraat in Anderlecht. Leonidas continues to expand in the USA and, by the late 1990s, in Asia. The brand becomes the market leader. In 1993, a boutique opens on Boterstraat that will grow into the largest Leonidas store in the world, with a team of 20 employees. The boutique is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., to serve the continuous stream of tourists drawn to its beautiful display window. Leonidas chocolates sold around the world are all made in Belgium. Every morning, pallets full of chocolates leave the country so people around the world can enjoy them. Always with respect for Basilio’s four key words: freshness, quality, choice, and affordability.
2005: NEW STORES IN CHOCOLATE SHADES
The boutiques get a new look, and the guillotine-style display window disappears. All the stores adopt the new style, which reflects not only Leonidas’s innovative and dynamic side, but also embodies the brand’s freshness, generosity, and history. Customers are welcomed into a cozy setting with modern, light colors. A few stores still have guillotine-style display windows, including one because the space is tiny. This store is on Kleerkopersstraat in the heart of Brussels, just a few steps from Basilio’s first famous store with a guillotine-style display window.
2013: 100 YEARS OF PURE PLEASURE
Leonidas celebrates 100 years of craftsmanship and savoir-vivre. The founder’s “little chocolate laboratory” has come a long way without ever betraying its soul or its original ingredients: hazelnuts from Turkey, almonds from Italy, walnuts from Grenoble and Texas, and chocolate made from 100% cocoa butter. The finest-quality ingredients and an unchanged recipe continue to delight loyal customers.
Leonidas is determined to bring joy to everyone for many years to come!
2013/11/15: ON NOVEMBER 15, 2015
On this day, His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium announced his first list of Certified Suppliers to the Royal Court. Leonidas is privileged to be on this list, which was carefully compiled following a rigorous selection process in recognition of its outstanding quality and affordable prices. For the chocolatier, this appointment is the crowning achievement of the brand’s centenary.