There is more to life than boxed chocolates for Godiva.
The premium chocolate brand plans to open some 2,000 cafes around the globe during the next six years, with a menu that will include salads and sandwiches, specialty beverages and desserts and grab-and-go items, reported the
AP.
The push is part of a growth plan spearheaded by CEO Annie Young-Scrivner, who took the reins at Godiva in fall 2017 after serving as global chief marketing officer of Starbucks and president of Tazo Tea. According to the report, some of Godiva’s existing stores will be converted into cafes, but the company is also looking beyond malls to open freestanding sites and airport locations.
Godiva is set to open its first U.S. café on April 18, in Manhattan. By yearend, 10 more cafes are slated to open in the Northeast.
(Godiva is working with Crown Retail Services, which provides strategic retail leasing and tenant representation services, and Bialow Real Estate, a full-service real estate consulting firm on a national basis.)