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Leonidas Confisserie SA is a chocolate producer with an international presence, based in Belgium. The company's focus is pralines (chocolate shells with soft fillings, called Belgian Chocolate in English-speaking countries); it also sells marzipan, solid chocolates, and other confections. The company is named after its Greek founder, Leonidas Kestekides, a confectioner who moved from Anatolia to the United States in the late 1800s. The logo used on Leonidas chocolates shows an effigy of the Greek warrior Leonidas, King of Sparta.

In 1900 Leonidas Kestekides travelled for the first time to France to attend the international food fair as an exhibitor. In 1910 World Fair in Brussels as a member of the Greek delegation from the United States he was awarded the bronze medal for his chocolate confectionery and the gold medal for his patisserie/ tea room located at the Veldstraat in Ghent. In the 1913 World Fair in Ghent he had the idea of enrobing with dark chocolate fruits confit from Anatolia.

During his visit, Leonidas Kestekides met a young woman from Brussels and settled permanently in Belgium. He opened tea-rooms in Brussels, Ghent and Blankenberge. In 1922 he was joined by his nephew Basile, niece Efthalia and her husband Prodromos Daskalides who moved from Constantinople (today Istanbul, Turkey) to Ghent and who was importing in collaboration with his eldest brother Dimitrios Kestekides, also located in Constantinople, delicate ingredients including almonds from the family plantation in Nigde (Cappadocia) and other sweets such as Loukoum and fruits confit.

In 1934, at the Blankenberghe Tea Room, his nephew Basile Kestekides had the idea to dip some excess coffee butter cream made for pastries into white chocolate instead of the traditional fondant sugar. Basile sent his young nephew Jean Daskalides to try to sell them on the street. It was an immediate success.

In 1935, Basile Kestekides moved from Ghent to Brussels. At first, he marketed his innovative idea (called Manon) with additional walnuts and hazelnuts on a street cart at the corner of the Boulevard Anspach and la Bourse in downtown Brussels near the famous Grand place and the office of the mayor.

In 1938 the popular mayor Adolphe Max, a devoted client, bought a Manon every morning while walking his dog. He helped Basile to find a store front on Anspach Boulevard, one of the most prestigious streets at the time. Basile incorporated the logo of an effigy of the king of Sparta, Leonidas, in honour of his uncle. He also created the famous concept "Guillotine windows" (selling out of an open window to the street). Freshness and affordable pricing were the key of his incredible success.

The company was headed by doctor Jean Daskalides from 1970 to 1993 and by Yanni Kesdekoglu from 1970 to 1985. In 1985, Yanis Kestekoglou's daughter, Maria Kesdekoglou replaced her father. She was joined in 1993 by her cousin, Vassiliki Kestekidou, and Dimitrios Kestekoglou who became President of the Board of Directors in 2007.

Leonidas continues to be headed by family members and has over 1400 retail outlets all over the world.

External links

• Leonidas company website
• Leonidas company history
• Leonidas USA website
• Leonidas Athens Greece Shop website

• Articles needing cleanup from March 2008
• Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from March 2008
• Misplaced Pages pages needing cleanup from March 2008
• Chocolatiers
• Belgian brands