My Biz: New candle bar offers a retail ‘experience’

MARION — Sea Love | A Candle Bar and Boutique is a new retail experience destination in Uptown Marion.

“I love making candles and needed to find a way to make that something that I could do more of and share with others,” owner Joni Evans said. “Nothing makes me happier or more relaxed than when I’m making candles for friends or family members. It fulfills me in a way I wanted to share with others.“

Evans, 50, is hoping others can experience that joy through the new store.

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Sea Love is a candle bar, 1107 Seventh Ave., where visitors come in and choose their own scents — there are 107 --- and choose whatever vessel they’d like to put a candle in.

“Then we will show you how to make your own candle to take home,” Evans said. The process takes about 30 to 45 minutes and costs $40 to $52 per person, depending on the vessel chosen.

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But it’s more than just “melting wax and adding fragrance,” Evans added. “There is actually a science to making a candle. The wax has to be a certain temperature to accept the fragrance oil, there are mixing instructions so that the molecules bond correctly, you have to use the correct wick size or your candle won’t burn correctly.”

So she and her team — which so far includes a store manager and several part-time employees — are there to help.

Evans said the store also offers reed diffusers as well as flameless candle options.

If you aren’t into making your own candle, the store carries a signature line of candles, room sprays and diffusers for purchase. Plus, a boutique offers coastal inspired gifts, which include home decor, some apparel, jewelry and accessories.

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The experience

Sea Love opened at the end of November and its “experiential retail” approach is generating interest in the Uptown Marion area.

That retail model is “something they can spend time with people they love and then they have something fun to take home with them to remember it by,” Evans said. “Living in Marion and seeing the growth in the Uptown Marion area, I really wanted to be a part of that and help other businesses.”

After making a candle, she said, customers need to let it cure for two hours, so Evans is hoping customers will stay in Uptown Marion and visit other stores, restaurants, have a drink, and come back to pick up their candles.

Stepping foot inside the store may make you feel transported to another destination.

“I think part of what makes my store unique is the coastal vibe we give off,” Evans said. “We wanted to bring the feeling of being on a coastal vacation to Iowa. You really feel like you are on vacation when you’re here. We want to be a place you come to leave your worries outside and enjoy some relaxing time with your loved ones.

“What I enjoy most about my job is seeing people’s faces when they walk in,” she said. “They get a huge smile on their face and say, ‘What is THIS?!’ Our store is beautiful, if I can say so myself, but it’s fun to see other’s reactions.”

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The business

So far, Evans said, she is spending three to five days in the store doing candle parties and greeting customers. She also handles the ordering, accounting and other marketing tasks.

Of course, there are parts of operating the business that are already keeping her on her toes, Evans added, including dealing with shipping costs and fulfillment times.

“Wax is heavy and big, and we can’t make candles without it,” she said. “Shipping costs are crazy high for all industries so everyone is feeling that pain. It just keeps me on my toes so I know plenty in advance when to order our wax, as fulfillment times are longer than they used to be.”

But she’s excited for more and more people, groups of friends and family especially, to discover Sea Love.

Evans said she loves that people who have booked a party are excited about the new opportunity.

“This is just a fun place to work, doing fun, creative things,” she said. “I just love watching people build these memories.”

Know a business that should be considered for a “My Biz” feature? Let us know by emailing mary.sharp@thegazette.com.

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