Leonidas

Born in 1882 in Niğde, Turkey, Leonidas Georges Kestekides of Greek heritage made a living by selling 'granitas', a kind of sorbet, and other sweets alongside his brother, Avraam. In 1900, he decided to move to the United States. In 1910, Leonidas met Joanna Emelia Teerlinck. Together, they moved to Ghent, where the International Exhibition was held in 1913. There, he won the gold medal and opened his first tearoom at 34 Veldstraat.

In 1935, after being accused by the police of street trading, he was ordered to sell his products in a store. As a result, he rented a room in a building at 58 Boulevard Anspach in Brussels. In 1937, he officially registered his brand with the City of Brussels. The brand's font and logo were chosen by Basilio Kestekides in honor of his uncle's Greek roots. He used the effigy of the King of Sparta, Leonidas I, who died in the Battle of Thermopylae during his opposition to the Second Persian invasion of Greece.

Leonidas's chocolates are made without palm oil. They are made with Belgian chocolate and cocoa butter. Leonidas's principal chocolate is "manon". At the time, the manon, filled with butter cream on a nougatine base, was dipped in melted sugar using a fork. A few years later, he placed the buttercream on a white chocolate praliné base instead of a nougatine base. Alexandros, nephew of Leonidas, built the company's first machines in the 1950s.

On 15 November 2013, the company became a certified purveyor to the Belgian royal household.