Kilwins of Fredericksburg is a Family Affair
“We want to be part of people’s memories," says Jenna Bowen, who owns the newly-opened Kilwins store in downtown Fredericksburg with her sister, Sandra Duff.
By Sophie Hubbard
CORRESPONDENT
In December 2022, sisters Jenna Bowen and Sandra Duff walked into a Kilwins storefront in Charlottesville, and were immediately immersed in the smell of warm waffle cones, the sound of the kettle, and the sight of carefully made chocolates lining the glass cases.
The two shared a moment when the question surfaced: Could we do this?
The answer now takes its place on Caroline Street in downtown Fredericksburg.
The sisters, who co-own the shop, had never heard of the Michigan-based brand before that visit. What began as a spontaneous stop turned into research, conversations with the company, and eventually a two-year search for a space that felt right in Fredericksburg.
“We really wanted downtown,” Bowen said. “The energy, the vibe … there’s so much community that happens on Caroline Street.” Located across from Benny Vitali’s and sharing a block with Irish Eyes, this dessert shop nestles itself within the action-packed street.
Four years apart in age, Bowen said she and her older sister always had a typical older-sister, younger-sister dynamic, but they grew especially close when Duff left for school at the College of William & Mary. Though both were born in Connecticut, Duff began her career in education in Westmoreland County, leading to frequent family visits to Virginia for nearly two decades.
“When people ask you what you want to be when you grow up, Sandra had always wanted to be in education,” Bowen shared. “For me, I didn’t know.”
That thought lingered for years until Kilwins of Fredericksburg opened its doors.
“This is what I want to be when I grow up,” Bowen said. “I want to be a business owner.”
Duff continues her career in King George County as the coordinator of testing, while being very involved in the shop alongside her sister. “We’re 100% in this together,” Bowen told the Advance. “We’re doing this like a family-run business.”
Family involvement extends beyond the sisters themselves. Their father helps make caramel in the kettle, a process that takes roughly three hours, while their mother helps the behind the scenes operations with decades of book-keeping and accounting experience.
Inside the shop, much of what first caught the sisters’ attention in Charlottesville now plays out daily. Waffle cones are made fresh and kept warm, with the option to coat the inside in chocolate. Fudge is prepared in-store and cooled on a marble table, and trays of dipped treats, from Oreos and marshmallows to pretzels and apples, fill the glass cases.
The store also offers its signature ice cream in an array of flavors, all of which can be made into milkshakes. Notable options such as Blueberry Waffle Cone and Georgia Peach share the menu with traditional favorites like vanilla and chocolate.
As a new business, the sisters say they are most looking forward to becoming part of the everyday life of downtown Fredericksburg. Since opening, they have already seen glimpses of that in small ways, including students stopping in to celebrate good grades and families visiting during downtown events.
“We want to be part of people’s memories,” Bowen said. “We want to be part of their story … not only in the community itself here, but when people go home and say, ‘Kilwins helped us celebrate.’”
To make your own sweet memories, visit Kilwins of Fredericksburg at 721 Caroline Street.
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