Knoops, the specialty chocolate drink brand, has appointed executive chairman William Gordon-Harris to CEO.
Holding the role of executive chairman since 2019, Gordon-Harris will now focus driving the business’ expansion, which has seen 78% year-on-year revenue growth in the last 12 months.
In the last year, the brand has more than doubled the number of stores from five to 11, with a further nine in the pipeline over the next 10 months.
Revenue has grown by 78% in the last 12 months and is forecast to grow by a further 110% in the following 12 months.
Jens Knoop founded the eponymous chocolate drink shop in Rye, East Sussex, in 2018, and enlisted Gordon-Harris to help him build a brand for barista chocolate drinks, in the same way Starbucks did for coffee in-store.
Gordon-Harris has led the rapid expansion of the store network and online retail offering since then, with plans to open over 120 sites in the UK, and 3,000 sites globally within the next seven years.
The company’s opening on Cross Street, Manchester earlier this year, was its biggest so far.
William Gordon-Harris said: “As CEO, I will accelerate our rapid expansion. Knoops is one of the most exciting omnichannel hospitality businesses in the UK. In 2023 we continue to build on the success to date as we create this category with its vast addressable market and become the global brand leader.”
Knoops serves hot and cold chocolate drinks, with a multichannel approach combining high street cafes, alongside a retail arm offering customers the ability to purchase its chocolate flakes both in-store and online.
