PHOTOS BY HALEY DAUGHERTY

A change in name isn’t the only new thing about the Lawrenceville scent emporium now known as Mix Candle Co. 

Once a franchise of Columbus, Ohio-based The Candle Lab, the shop on Butler Street is now independently owned and operated locally by Abbey Ishman, who previously worked as a franchisee for the brand. After The Candle Lab parent company decided to sell three of its Columbus locations, Ishman says she jumped on the opportunity to own her own store. 

“I never really saw myself as a business owner,” she says. “I know a lot about candles after working with them for 10 years and I found a niche market that I love being a part of.”

With the change in ownership, Ishman says Mix Candle Co., which officially relaunched April 30, has the freedom to offer new scents she personally selected and tested, as well as the opportunity to add more products to the store. Some of the new scents include a white tea aroma as well as a sea salt fragrance that currently is in development.

“There wasn’t a lot that we couldn’t do before [as a franchise],” says Ishman. “Now, we would like to hone our offerings and add more things more often and make things a little bit more fun [for patrons] to match the experience that we offer” 

The store also has a completely revamped design. Deviating from the previous black-and-white color scheme, Ishman added bright drops of orange, pink and multiple shades of blue to the wall behind the cash register. There’s also a mural in the same hues along one of the walls, plus a bright blue work station. 

Ishman says she and her staff felt the previous colors were too serious for the creative environment they want to cultivate for customers. She worked with designer Rachel Dangerfield of Ohio’s Imaginary Beast to design the store using her favorite colors.

“We found that a lot of the fun has been sucked out of this the past year … I feel like this will reinvigorate the whole brand and just breathe some new life into it,” Ishman says. 

The shop continues to offer a wide variety of scents and mixtures that customers can use to create personalized candles for the home. Customers also may choose the candle containers.

“Scent is one of the things that triggers memories more than any of our other senses. We walk into a home and automatically the smell reminds you of something,” says Ishman. “Now you associate the scents you create with your space.”

Because the store leans so heavily on customer personalities, Ishman says creating an environment focused on passion and creativity was extremely important.

“It took years of planning because you’re always thinking ‘How would I put my stamp on this,’” says Ishman. “We still have the same management and the operations manager, Bridgette, who has been here helping me sand down counter tops. This store is really our blood, sweat and tears.”

As a small business owner herself, Ishman says building a community and circulating local business is also crucial to her. The staff at Mix Candle Co. happily recommends nearby restaurants and bars where patrons can grab a bite to eat as their candles are drying. There’s also a list of nearby restaurants on the Mix Candle Co. website customers may browse while making their candle-making reservations. 

“We’re always trying new restaurants and eating in the area so that we can make good suggestions to our customers,” says Ishman.

To learn more about the Mix Candle Co, or to make a reservation, visit mixcandleco.com.