Knoops has described the opening of its first permanent US store as its strongest global launch by drinks volume per trading hour, giving the British company an encouraging first test of its store-led US expansion strategy.
The outlet opened last Friday in Salt Lake City’s 9th & 9th district. Chief executive William Gordon-Harris said the store had delivered “the highest number of drinks sold per trading hour of any Knoops global launch to date”.
Knoops did not disclose the number of drinks served, customer transactions or comparable figures from previous openings. The claim should also be viewed in the context of its launch promotion, reported by news website Axios ahead of the opening.
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Even with those caveats, the turnout appears to have provided Knoops with an early indication of local interest. Gordon-Harris reported queues comprising families, students, children and older customers, while founder Jens Knoop said the opening had generated considerable discussion on social media.
“Utah has given us such a warm welcome, and there’s a real sense of curiosity and excitement around what we’re doing,” Knoop told CocoaRadar. “This first store is the beginning of a very exciting chapter for Knoops in America.”
Testing Demand Before Opening the Doors
The launch was preceded by a week of customer testing. Knoop said approximately 1,000 Utah residents were invited to try the drinks and provide feedback, allowing staff to practise under live trading conditions. The company then held a locally organised influencer event before opening to the public.
This phased approach gave Knoops an opportunity to train its team, refine service and generate local awareness before the opening weekend. It was particularly relevant for a concept built around a wide range of choices.
Anthony Myers
Knoops’ ‘Chocolate Library’ allows customers to select different cocoa percentages and order drinks hot, iced, frozen or as milkshakes, with additional flavours and a choice of milks.
The brand’s US strategy rests on stores doing more than generating sales. Knoops sees them as places to explain the category, introduce customers to different chocolates and build sufficient recognition for a wider retail business.
Gordon-Harris said outlets remained central to efforts to ‘create the category’, build awareness and prepare the ground for Knoops At Home chocolate flakes, wholesale distribution and, eventually, ready-to-drink canned products. The company says it will introduce those products market by market when brand recognition can support national distribution at scale.
Why Knoops Chose Utah
Salt Lake City represents a deliberate alternative to launching in a larger coastal market such as New York or Los Angeles.
Knoop told local media that the city had an aspirational food scene and a strong culture of personalised drinks. Utah’s established ‘dirty soda’ market — built around customised soft drinks — offered a useful local parallel for Knoops’ own choice-led model.
The company also believes chocolate drinks can occupy social occasions not served by coffee or alcohol. Knoop told Axios that this could give the brand broad appeal in a market where many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abstain from both.
The early customer mix Gordon-Harris reported is consistent with the company’s argument that the proposition can reach across generations, although independent opening-weekend attendance data and customer research have not been released.
Knoops is taking a regional approach to expansion. A second Utah store is planned for Farmington (as early as the end of the year, according to some reports), while US expansion lead Mike Jensen told Axios that Park City was also under consideration. Jensen said the company intended to avoid saturating the market and position its stores as destinations.
Stores Anchor a Wider Retail Strategy
Founded by Knoop in Rye, East Sussex, in 2013, Knoops has grown to more than 30 locations across the UK, UAE and US. The Utah opening gives the company a presence on three continents.
Alongside its US expansion, Knoops plans to increase UK distribution of its hand-flaked Knoops At Home range through delicatessens, farm shops and premium grocery retailers. The products are already sold through the company’s stores and website, as well as Amazon and retailers including Ocado, Harrods, Selfridges and Whole Foods.
The US expansion and UK distribution push follow the same model: use physical stores to demonstrate and explain the product, then pursue growth through several retail channels. The Salt Lake City opening offers a promising initial sign that this strategy can attract attention in a new market. Whether that enthusiasm converts into sustained, full-price demand will be the more important test.
CocoaRadar View
Knoops treated its US debut as a market-entry exercise rather than a conventional store opening. Local sampling, employee training, influencer activity and complimentary drinks were used to reduce launch risk while teaching consumers how to navigate a comparatively complex product.
The opening-volume claim is encouraging but incomplete without absolute figures and a distinction between complimentary and paid drinks. Repeat visits and full-price trading after the launch promotion will provide a clearer measure of whether Utah can become a platform for wider US growth.