In 1913 Leonidas Kestekides made another appearance at the World Exhibition, this time in Ghent.

After he proudly presented his new creations to the visitors, on 27 October he was awarded the gold medal and a commemorative certificate. 1913 was a successful year for Leonidas. He opened his first tearoom at Veldstraat 34 in Ghent. Together with Joanna, he spoiled his guests with patisserie, confectionery, sweets and ice cream.

When the Germans invaded in 1918, Leonidas temporarily closed. But he noticed that the bourgeoisie still wanted to enjoy life’s little pleasures… and his comeback was better than ever. In addition to his tearoom in Ghent, he opened a ‘tasting room and cold buffet’ in Blankenberge. The coastal town was very popular among the bourgeoisie at that time due to its trendy shops and casino. The second Leonidas tearoom was located in the renowned Lion d’Or hotel.