Kilwins is expanding once again within Chicago, making its way to Andersonville, located at 5224 N. Clark St.
The new location will move a block away from the former George’s Ice Cream & Sweets, which closed down at the end of March after 13 years. Kilwin’s will hopefully serve as a replacement to the beloved ice cream shop, opening in fall 2022, likely around October/ November. Franchise owner Jackie Jackson tells What Now Chicago she hopes to hire George’s employees to show her appreciation for the longtime ice cream shop. This will be the fifth Kilwins for Jackson, who also owns stores in Hyde Park, Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue, and Geneva.
Jackson has faced a few unfortunate events during her time as the franchise owner of Chicago’s Kilwins. She used to have a store in Old Town, but a string of burglaries forced her to close that location a few years ago. Then, the Michigan Avenue location was looted last year during the George Floyd protests. Finally, on November 10th, Jackson’s Hyde Park location was the scene of a shooting that left bullet holes riddled through the store. As a result, Jackson closed down the Hyde Park location and decided to renovate it, essentially creating a fresh start for the franchisee. She expects to reopen the Hyde Park location sometime in May 2022.
“Andersonville was voted second coolest location in the United States. I heard of that, and I wanted to check it out,” Jackson tells What Now Chicago. “When I went there, I loved the culture and energy of the community, and I decided I wanted to bring a Kilwins there. When I did my due diligence, I found an ice cream shop and tried it. Not only was it delicious, but I saw how much the community loved this ice cream shop, so Andersonville was out the window.”
“The next day, someone sent me an email saying the ice cream shop was closing (the owners were ready to retire),” Jackson continued. “At that moment, I knew it was meant to be. I knew right then immediately. I reached out to my franchise, and a week later, my corporate office assessed the space and gave me the green light. It was kind of magical how it all happened.”
