Downtown Ann Arbor’s sweet tooth is getting a serious plot twist. Quix Chocolate is moving into the former Kilwins storefront on E. Liberty, with plans to open a new shop this summer and keep the corner’s dessert streak alive.
The Ferndale-based chocolatier is taking over the two-unit space and bringing a lineup that leans European café more than old-school candy shop: Belgian-style chocolates, Illy coffee, hot chocolate and Guernsey Farms ice cream are all on the menu. Owner David Ogloza is aiming for a July 1 opening and is betting that the steady churn of students, residents and visitors downtown will keep the shop humming.
Quix has signed a five-year lease on roughly 1,475 square feet and is planning to pour about $200,000 to $250,000 into mostly cosmetic upgrades before the doors open, including removing an interior wall, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The company told the outlet it expects the Ann Arbor shop to create about six jobs and to operate seven days a week.
What It’ll Sell
Quix says the Ann Arbor shop will stock more than 40 varieties of hand-finished chocolates alongside Illy coffee and Guernsey Farms dairy ice cream, per the Quix Chocolate website. The brand’s product lineup leans Belgian in both technique and presentation, with an emphasis on seasonal flavors and small-batch production.
End Of An Era
The E. Liberty space had been Kilwins territory for roughly 42 years before the downtown shop closed at the end of 2025. In its final days, local coverage captured long lines and a steady stream of customers saying their goodbyes. The Ann Arbor Observer traced the store’s history and documented the neighborhood’s reaction to the closure.
Why Quix Chose Liberty
Ogloza told Crain’s Detroit Business that Ann Arbor’s blend of students, year-round residents and game-day crowds creates the kind of foot traffic that could help this location outperform Quix’s Ferndale shop. In a November profile, Quix described its Ferndale flagship as more of a destination and pointed to airport and grocery partnerships as its growth model; that piece ran in Woodward Corner Market.
Space And The Market
Commercial listings for 107–109 E. Liberty peg the street-level retail space at about 1,472 square feet, underscoring just how compact downtown footprints can be, according to Colliers. The listing highlights the units as high-visibility retail near Main Street, the kind of pitch landlords and tenants like to cite when locking in new food and beverage concepts…