Godiva Chocolatier

Godiva Chocolatier (/ɡəˈdaɪvə/; French pronunciation: [gɔdiva]) is a multinational chocolate maker owned by Turkish conglomerate Yıldız Holding.

Founded in Belgium in 1926, it was purchased in 1974 by American food manufacturer Campbell Soup Company, who owned and operated the company until its sale to Yıldız in November 2007. In 2019, South Korean private equity firm MBK Partners purchased Tokyo-based Godiva Japan, operations in South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand as well as a production facility in Belgium for a deal valued at over US$1 billion.

In 2019, Godiva had planned to open 2,000 Cafés worldwide over the next 6 years, a concept that would introduce more coffee chain-type products including espresso drinks and croissant sandwiches. However, in January 2021, Godiva announced it would close all its 128 brick-and-mortar locations across North America by the end of March 2021, due to the lockdowns and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reducing in-person shopping, but would maintain wholesale operations.

Godiva has factories in Turkey, the United States, and Belgium. Chocolate sold in the United States is exclusively manufactured at facilities in Reading, Pennsylvania and Turkey. In 2019, a class action lawsuit alleged Godiva falsely marketed its chocolate as being made in Belgium. In 2022, a United States District court approved a settlement of the case in which Godiva agreed to pay up to $15 million to consumers who filed claims.

Since 2024, the Yıldız-owned portion of Godiva operates as a subsidiary of confectionery and snack foods company Pladis.