BUTLERS CHOCOLATES, the Irish confectionery company that also operates 10 cafes around the country, is to open its first international outlet, in New Zealand. The Butlers Chocolate Cafe in Wellington is due to open next month, and will be operated by Peter Kelly, an Irish expatriate franchisee.

It follows an approach from Kelly to the Sorensen family in Dublin, who launched the chain in 1998.

According to Colm Sorensen, Butlers’ managing director, if the franchise concept proves successful the company will look at rolling out cafes in America and continental Europe.

“If it proves successful, the whole world is open to us,” said Sorensen. “We don’t have a target yet for how many outlets we could open, but you could see Butlers cafes in one or two other countries before the end of the year.

“We have decided not to franchise the Butlers cafes in Ireland, and we would probably also look at operating them ourselves in the UK. But we have done a lot of work on the franchising concept and are constantly getting inquiries.”

According to recently filed accounts, Butlers Chocolates, which includes the manufacturing, retail and cafe businesses, made a gross profit of €11.6m in 2005, up from €9.8m the previous year. The company does not reveal its turnover, availing itself of an accounting exemption. It has retained profits of €8.6m.

The company is owned by the Sorensen family, which includes Colm’s siblings Mairead and Owen. It was bought by their father in 1959 as a manufacturing company. The most recent accounts do not include revenues generated by its cafes in Dublin’s Heuston station and Galway, which opened last year.