Leonidas is a registered trademark of the agri-food company Confiserie Leonidas S.A. The Belgian chocolate company was founded in 1913 by Leonidas Kestekides. The company is ISO 9001 and FSSC 22000 certified. As of 2019, the brand has more than 1,030 points of sale (including 450 stores in Belgium and Luxembourg, and 290 in France) in 32 countries, the majority of which are franchises and around 40 are subsidiaries.[3]
History
Born in 1882 in Niğde, Turkey, Leonidas Georges Kestekides of Greek heritage made a living by selling 'granitas', a kind of sorbet, and other sweets alongside his brother, Avraam. In 1900, he decided to move to the United States. In 1910, Leonidas met Joanna Emelia Teerlinck. Together, they moved to Ghent, where the International Exhibition was held in 1913. There, he won the gold medal and opened his first tearoom at 34 Veldstraat.