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Under new ownership, the Kilwins team is bringing its North Shore success to Patchogue’s Main Street.
After the owner of Kilwins Chocolate and Ice Cream shop in Patchogue had to leave the business, the storefront at 74 E. Main Street sat dark for a few months.
That’s when Christine and Brian Viscount, of Mt. Sinai, decided the opportunity was too sweet to pass up.
“We decided it was an opportunity to grow and saw it as a place where we could bring our experience from the Port Jeff store,” Christine said.
The Viscount family opened the Port Jefferson location in the summer of 2017, and it’s since become a favorite in the waterfront downtown.
“We have a nice vibe in the Port Jeff store, and I thought we could bring it down to Patchogue,” she said.
‘Mirror image’
Looking ahead, Christine said they’re excited to get involved with the South Shore community, the local high school and participate in events — just like they do up north. They officially took over the Patchogue shop on May 31 and reopened it at the end of June.
“I think it’s a good fit for us,” she added. “We’re bringing all the good things from Port Jeff to Patchogue.”
Christine described the new location as a “mirror image of the Port Jefferson store,” refreshed with great products and a solid staff in place.
The passion
Now in the Kilwins business for nearly a decade, Christine said she loves the work.
A longtime Mt. Sinai foreign language teacher before switching careers, she called bringing her love of sweets and cookies to a brick-and-mortar shop “a dream come true.”
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s a store that makes people happy. They love the smell, tasting things and I love seeing people’s reactions.”
The couple first discovered Kilwins in 2013 during a fall weekend in Newport, R.I.
“We always in the back of our mind were wondering, what’s next?” Brian said. “It was during a fall weekend up in Newport, Rhode Island, that we walked into a Kilwins store, and we got interested.
“And one thing led to another and here we are today.”
Christine and Brian Viscount outside their new Kilwins locations in Patchogue Village. (courtesy photo)
