New Kilwins opens in Siesta Key Village

Siesta Key native Lance Cassagnol returns to his childhood roots with the new dessert shop in Davidson Plaza.

By Andrew Warfield
| 9:00 a.m. April 2, 2023

The new Kilwins location on Siesta Key is now open.

Arts + Entertainment
Eat + Drink

A Siesta Key native son now operates a new Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge & Ice Cream shop at Davidson Plaza in Siesta Village, where he grew up skateboarding. Franchise owner Lance Cassagnol has opened the new location at 5140 Ocean Blvd.

The space was formerly home to Local Chill Ice Cream shop. Cassagnol took over the location in July 2022.

A lifelong resident of Siesta Key, Cassagnol started his career as a line cook before going to Australia to study marine biology. He then returned to Sarasota to build an investment banking company. Cassagnol opened the Kilwins store to fulfill a desire to return to his food-service roots.

Kilwins' offerings include heritage chocolate, in-store-made fudge, caramel apples, caramel corn, brittle, chocolate-dipped treats and Kilwins original recipe ice cream. The new store joins other Sarasota-area locations at St. Armands and in Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch.

author

Andrew Warfield

Andrew Warfield is the Sarasota Observer city reporter. He is a four-decade veteran of print media. A Florida native, he has spent most of his career in the Carolinas as a writer and editor, nearly a decade as co-founder and editor of a community newspaper in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.