Their science careers took a sweet turn at Kilwins at Bayshore Town Center

When BJ Gruling and Rick Clark officially opened Kilwins Milwaukee in September 2014, they both held onto their day jobs in the medical field. 

In October 2017, they left those jobs and began working at Kilwins Milwaukee full time. While Kilwins Milwaukee is a franchise, the confectionery and ice cream shop at 5756 N. Bayshore Drive, Glendale, at Bayshore Town Center is a very personal venture for Clark and Gruling.

You’ll find the duo working in the store daily, with Clark, 59, doing much of the production and Gruling, 61, making the signature fudge and overseeing social media. They consider this a neighborhood store, and they’ve gotten to know regulars by name. Customizing orders and creating personalized confections and experiences is what drives them.

Their roots

BJ: We actually met each other in Saudi Arabia in 1987. Rick is Canadian. I am from Wisconsin. We are both science people by background. I’m an oncology pharmacist. Rick is a microbiologist.   

Confections as a career

BJ: We love food and had toyed with the idea of a franchise. Kilwins was here in Milwaukee, and they were looking at a store in the metro area. We just happened to see that and talked to them.

The upside of Kilwins is that they are privately owned, relatively small and based out of Michigan. They’ve been around 71 years, so we’re able to reap that benefit of decades-old recipes. 

Risk and reward

BJ: We met while working in the Middle East. So even going and working in the Middle East, that is taking a risk. Both of us have always been somewhat risk takers. We have an entrepreneurial spirit, but this venture is something for ourselves. It is our business and we get to share it.

Science of sweets

Rick: I did have a sweet tooth, but I don’t anymore. This is definitely a science. People think it is easy, but it is science and it is hard work.

BJ: It is very temperature-driven. We cook our fudge to a tenth of a degree, and every fudge has a different temperature. We actually do fudge-making classes, like parties, a class where people can bring a group of 10. That’s the number because that’s what fits in our kitchen. We can also do dips, like apples or marshmallows. Kids love to dip things.

What they’re known for

BJ: I make all of our fudge. We always have caramel apples year-round. Kilwins makes their own chocolate, so we’re not using Belgian or someone else’s chocolate. Our chocolate is also fair trade and kosher, though of course, our kitchen isn’t kosher, but a lot of our products are.

Ice cream is a huge seller, even in winter. The ice cream is made at one dairy for all the stores. Ice cream is our best seller. The No. 1 flavor is the sea salted caramel. 

Sweet success

BJ: We’re one of the really true fudge places around Milwaukee. We make it from scratch. It’s not pan fudge.

Our brittles have really gained a lot of momentum, especially around the holidays, and we make pecan, cashew and peanut. I think what makes it different too, is when we make it we stretch it so thin in the process. it has a lot of nuts and it is not thick and hard. 

Rick: Everybody has had bad brittle. This stuff is easy on the tooth. 

Holiday treat

Rick: The bestselling candy is the milk chocolate pecan “tuttle.” Ours are tuttles, not Turtles, which is a trademarked name. 

BJ: They go phenomenally well with stout beers, especially bourbon barrel-aged stouts. We love doing beer pairings. Sprecher is launching XII Dragons, a bourbon barrel stout. We were over there doing some chocolate pairings with them to find a chocolate to go with the beer. 

Everyday indulgence

Rick: If I could pick only one? I like the dark chocolate orange peel. It is hard to find. People come in and buy a pound or two. 

BJ: I’d say our hot chocolate, because it is a shredded chocolate bar steamed into milk, comforting and delicious. 

Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.