Kilwins to Open Downtown Huntsville Store

The sweets retailer plans a location at Eclipse in downtown Huntsville next year, alongside a new independent bookshop.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Kilwins to Open Downtown Huntsville Store

Kilwins, a sweets and dessert chain known for hand-crafted chocolates, ice cream and fudge, is set to open a store at Eclipse in downtown Huntsville in 2027. The location will be the brand's first in the Huntsville market and will be operated by existing franchisees Scott and Wendy Newby.

Why it matters

The opening adds a national confectionery brand to a mixed-use downtown development and expands the Newbys' existing Kilwins operation in Guntersville into a new community. It also reflects a growth approach that relies on established franchisees entering new markets.

Kilwins operates nearly 200 locations nationwide, and the Huntsville store will be its first in the local market. The Von Braun Center, adjacent to Eclipse, hosts more than 500 events annually, though the store's exact opening month has not been announced.

The players

Kilwins

Kilwins is a nationwide sweets and dessert chain with nearly 200 locations, known for hand-crafted chocolates, ice cream and fudge.

RCP Companies

RCP Companies is a real estate developer that serves as master developer of CityCentre at Big Spring and co-developed the Eclipse project.

The details

Eclipse is a mixed-use development in downtown Huntsville built by RCP Companies and Spring Bay as part of CityCentre at Big Spring. Marcus La Fleur Bookshop, an independent bookstore and coffeehouse built around the idea 'Turn the Page on Screen Life,' will open alongside Kilwins at the same site.

2027: Kilwins is expected to open its Eclipse location in downtown Huntsville.

Market Landscape

Kilwins is pursuing growth through existing franchisees who expand the brand into new communities rather than through company-operated stores. The Huntsville store extends that approach by placing an established franchise operator from Guntersville into a new downtown market.

Huntsville shoppers will gain a local option for Kilwins chocolates, ice cream and fudge once the store opens. The bookshop opening alongside it will add an independent bookstore and coffeehouse option in the same downtown development.

The takeaway

Expansion through existing franchisees can bring established local operators into new markets without building from scratch. For Huntsville residents, downtown mixed-use developments are increasingly adding retail that mixes food and books in one destination.