Godiva Chocolatier
Godiva Chocolatier (/ɡəˈdaɪvə/; French pronunciation: [gɔdiva]) is a Belgian-based international chocolate maker which is owned by Turkish conglomerate Yıldız Holding.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Confectionery production |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | Joseph Draps |
| Headquarters | 333 West 34th Street, New York City , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Salman Amin, CEO |
| Products | Food and Beverage (Chocolate and Coffee) |
| Parent | Yıldız Holding |
| Website | www |
Founded in 1926, it was purchased by Yıldız in November 2007. In 2019, South Korean private equity firm MBK Partners purchased Tokyo-based Godiva Japan, operations in South Korea and Oceania as well as a production facility in Belgium for a deal valued at over US$1 billion. Godiva owns and operates more than 600 shops in Europe and Asia and is available via over 10,000 speciality retailers.
In 2019, Godiva had planned to open 2,000 Cafés worldwide over the next 6 years, a concept that would introduce more coffee chain-type products including espresso drinks and croissant sandwiches. However, in January, 2021, Godiva announced it would close all its 128 brick-and-mortar locations across North America by the end of March 2021, due to the lockdowns and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reducing in-person shopping, but would maintain wholesale operations.