Knokes Chocolates & Nuts

What Knokes Chocolates & Nuts does

Knokes Chocolates & Nuts is a privately held, founder-owned artisan confectionery founded by Dave Knoke in 2000 and headquartered in Hudson, Wisconsin. The company manufactures and retails handcrafted chocolates, truffles, caramels, toffee, brittles, gourmet caramel corn, chocolate-covered snacks, and house-roasted nuts, alongside in-store exclusives such as ice cream, gelato, sorbet, fudge, and seasonal items like Dubai Chocolates. Production occurs daily at a dedicated facility at 2737 Harvey Street, Hudson, WI, while the retail showroom at 218 Locust St sits two blocks from the St. Croix River and was expanded in 2022 when the company purchased and remodeled the adjacent building, adding seating and customer space. The company offers a sugar-free sub-line and seasonal/holiday assortments, with English toffee (Wisconsin sweet cream butter) highlighted as a flagship product.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model across three channels: a walk-in retail storefront, a Shopify-powered e-commerce website with nationwide shipping and a $75 free-shipping threshold, and a DoorDash delivery partnership for local on-demand orders. Revenue is generated through one-time unit purchases of individual items, decorative nut tins, and premium gift boxes (up to The Signature Box at $153), supplemented by a Corporate Gifting Program that supports bulk orders with multiple-address shipping, custom branding, and consolidated invoicing. Pricing is purely transactional with no subscription model, and marketing relies on Instagram, Google Reviews, word-of-mouth, and 25+ years of community reputation in Western Wisconsin and the Twin Cities Metro.

The technology stack is commodity commerce infrastructure — Shopify for storefront and order management, with integrated payments (Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amex, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Diners Club) and Google Maps/Reviews for discovery. The company has no external investors, no funding rounds, and operates as a single-location, owner-operated enterprise with 11-50 employees. Competitive positioning rests on proprietary recipes, handcrafted in-house production, owner presence, and a prime downtown Hudson location rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Knokes Chocolates & Nuts

Legal name

Knokes Chocolates & Nuts

Website

https://knokeschocolatesandnuts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knokes Chocolates & Nuts is a privately held, founder-owned artisan confectionery in Hudson, Wisconsin, manufacturing and retailing handcrafted chocolates, roasted nuts, and gourmet treats via a single retail storefront, a Shopify e-commerce site, and DoorDash delivery to individual consumers and corporate gift buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Confectionery

NAICS

Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Chocolatiers & Confectionery (CRAHAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons) (THAFAFAL), Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD)

Keywords

• Handcrafted chocolates
• Roasted nuts
• Artisan confections
• Gourmet popcorn
• Corporate gifting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hudson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Candy and Chocolate Sales: Direct sales of handcrafted chocolates, truffles, caramels, toffee, roasted nuts, gourmet popcorn, and ice cream through physical retail store in Hudson, WI.
2. E-commerce Online Sales: Online product sales through Shopify-powered website with shipping to customers. Free shipping threshold of $75. Processing time 3-5 business days (January-October), 7-10 business days (November-December).
3. Corporate Gifting Programs: Bulk corporate orders with multiple address shipping capabilities, consolidated invoicing, luxury packaging options, and custom gift messaging. Multiple Address Order Form for large group orders.
4. DoorDash Delivery: Delivery partnership with DoorDash for local delivery of products to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Knokes Chocolates & Nuts is a single-location artisan confectionery in Hudson, Wisconsin that manufactures and sells handcrafted chocolates, truffles, toffee, caramels, brittles, house-roasted nuts, and gourmet popcorn, made in-house daily in small batches. Distribution is handled through a downtown Hudson retail storefront, a Shopify e-commerce website offering direct-to-consumer shipping, and a DoorDash delivery partnership, with a corporate gifting program for bulk orders with multiple address shipping and consolidated invoicing.

Product overview

Knokes Chocolates & Nuts is a single-location artisan confectionery in Hudson, Wisconsin, established in 2000. The company operates as a unified product portfolio centered on handcrafted chocolates, roasted nuts, and gourmet treats made in-house daily. The core offerings include assorted chocolate boxes, truffles, toffee, and caramels alongside chocolate-covered snacks (potato chips, pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers, Oreos) and chocolate disks in various cocoa percentages with flavor infusions (sea salt, cayenne). The nut line features house-roasted cashews, almonds, and fancy deluxe nut blends available in bags and decorative tins. Gift offerings range from the premium Signature Box to 3-Way Gift Tins, complemented by e-gift cards. The portfolio includes sugar-free options for health-conscious customers. In-store exclusives include ice cream, gelato, sorbet, fudge, gummies, Jelly Belly candies, and seasonal specialties like caramel apples and peanut brittle. The company recently launched Dubai Chocolates as a seasonal in-store offering. A corporate gifting program offers bulk ordering with custom branding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handcrafted Chocolates Handcrafted chocolates made in-house daily, including truffles, chocolate-covered treats, and assorted chocolate boxes, sold to walk-in and online customers.
• Roasted Nuts House-roasted nuts including cashews, almonds, and fancy deluxe mixes, available in bags and decorative tins.
• Gourmet Popcorn / Caramel Corn Gourmet caramel corn and popcorn varieties.
• Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Year-round ice cream flavors, gelato (Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel), and seasonal sorbet options. Available in-store only.
• Assorted Truffle Boxes Curated boxes featuring handcrafted assorted truffles in various chocolate varieties.
• Assorted Caramel Boxes Boxes of assorted handcrafted caramels including milk, dark, and sea salt varieties.
• English Toffee Assorted toffee made with Wisconsin sweet cream butter, covered with chocolate, and topped with pecan pieces, available in milk and dark chocolate varieties.
• Handmade Chocolate Disks (5oz) Handmade small-batch chocolate disks in dark chocolate (72%, 72% sea salt, 58% sea salt, 72% cayenne), milk chocolate, and white chocolate varieties, sold as 5oz pieces.
• Chocolate-Covered Snacks Chocolate-coated snack items including chocolate-covered potato chips, S'more Bites, milk chocolate Krispie bar, peanut butter Krispie bar, milk chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick, milk chocolate covered graham crackers (2pc), dark chocolate covered graham crackers (2pc), milk chocolate covered Oreos (6pc), milk chocolate caramel pretzels (2pc), dark chocolate caramel pretzels (2pc), and peanut butter cups (3pc) in milk, dark, and white chocolate.
• Sugar-Free Confections Sugar-free versions of core confections sweetened with Maltitol: 9-piece caramels, 9-piece assorted chocolates, 4oz bridge mix, 4oz toffee, and 4oz St. Croix Critters.
• Roasted Nuts in Bags and Tins Premium roasted nuts sold in bags and decorative tins: chocolate covered almonds (8oz), jumbo cashews (8oz bag), fancy deluxe mix (8oz and 16oz tin), and jumbo cashew nut tin (16oz or 26oz).
• Knoke's Chocolate Bar Collection Collection of seven handcrafted chocolate bars including milk and semi-sweet plain, nut, and sea salt varieties, plus dark chocolate plain, sea salt, and cayenne options.
• The Signature Box Premium assortment featuring gourmet popcorn, 15-piece assorted caramels, 15-piece assorted chocolates, St. Croix critters, English toffee, 3-way nut tin, milk chocolate bar, 58% dark chocolate sea salt bar, plus seasonal favorites.
• 3-Way Gift Tin 16oz gift tin featuring an assortment of nuts and treats, suitable for gifting occasions.
• Assorted Chocolate Boxes Curated boxes of assorted handcrafted chocolates presented in signature packaging.
• Knokes E-Gift Card Digital gift cards allowing recipients to choose their own favorite treats from the full Knokes selection.
• 6 Pack Snack Sampler Sampler pack containing six assorted snack items for trying variety of treats.
• All Chocolate Snack Pack Snack pack featuring an all-chocolate assortment of treats.
• Dubai Chocolates Specialty seasonal chocolates available in-store while supplies last.
• Corporate Gifting Program Corporate gifting service for bulk orders with luxury packaging, small-batch chocolates, custom branding options (branded stickers, custom gift messages), multiple address shipping capabilities, and consolidated invoicing.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoorDash delivery partnership enabling local delivery of Knokes Chocolates products to customers in the Hudson, WI area. Customers can order through DoorDash for convenient delivery of chocolates, nuts, and other treats.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify powers the Knokes Chocolates & Nuts e-commerce website, providing the platform for online sales, payment processing (Shop Pay), and order management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fannie May Confections: Midwest-based specialty chocolate and confectionery retailer with strong gift-box and seasonal assortment positioning. Closely comparable to Knokes as a regional U.S. chocolatier focused on premium giftable confections and multi-generational brand loyalty.
• Lake Champlain Chocolates: Artisan small-batch chocolatier with retail store, e-commerce, and corporate gifting program. Directly comparable in handcrafted positioning, gifting focus, and multi-channel structure to Knokes.
• See's Candies: Iconic American boxed-chocolate and confectionery specialty retailer with owned storefronts and direct-to-consumer gift business. Highly comparable to Knokes in product mix (boxed chocolates, toffee, nuts, seasonal gifts) and customer experience (premium gifting).
• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory: Specialty chocolate retailer with company-owned and franchised storefronts selling hand-dipped chocolates, caramel apples, fudge, and gift assortments. Comparable to Knokes in-store confectionery product mix and gift-tin assortment strategy.
• Vosges Haut-Chocolat: Premium artisanal chocolatier offering truffles, chocolate bars with exotic flavor infusions, and gift collections via retail and online. Comparable to Knokes in small-batch handcraft, flavor-forward chocolate disks, and premium gifting positioning.

Emerging players

• Sweet Shop Candy: Online confectionery retailer specializing in nostalgic and gourmet candy assortments with nationwide shipping. Comparable to Knokes in e-commerce-driven gifting, though lacks the in-house manufacturing and storefront component.

Regional players

• Mrs. Fields / Famous Brands International: Specialty gift retailer of cookies, brownies, and chocolates with online gifting and franchise/retail footprint. Comparable to Knokes on premium gifting assortment and online multi-recipient shipping, though its category centers on baked goods rather than confections.

Broad incumbents

• Lindt & Sprüngli: Global premium chocolate maker with broad assortment of chocolate bars, truffles, and seasonal gift boxes across retail and online. Comparable to Knokes on premium chocolate gifting and dark chocolate percentage-based offerings, though at substantially larger scale.
• Godiva Chocolatier: Global premium boxed-chocolate and truffle brand with owned boutiques and broad gifting distribution. Overlaps with Knokes on premium chocolate gifting and truffle boxes but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Others

• Ghirardelli Chocolate Company: Established premium chocolate producer selling squares, disks, baking products, and gift assortments across retail and wholesale. Comparable to Knokes on premium chocolate disks and giftable chocolate assortments, though at far larger scale with broader retail distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/knokeschocolates
• Facebookfacebook.com/knokeschocolates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knokes Chocolates & Nuts