Candle business keeps downtown glowing

Not just because they carry products with names like Lizard’s Breath and Monkey Fart. And not only because customers can create and name their own unique fragrances or match certain fragrances to certain colors, though that has a lot to do with it, Jeremy Maroney said.

“I think it’s unique for a lot of places and not just Ottawa,” he said of his shop at 312B S. Main St. “It’s a neat little place to be creative.”

Maroney said he and his wife, Tabitha, bought the store in March and opened in August.

“It’s going pretty good,” he said. “Word of mouth has really spread.”

Maroney said his store is unique because customers can get their used candle jars refilled, and they can match colors to fragrances.

For example, some people may want a cinnamon candle to be red, but others may want it to be a different color to match a room, Maroney said.

“They can customize their colors with whatever fragrance they want,” he said.

As for Maroney, Hot Buttered Rum is one of his favorite fragrances, and he also likes Lizard’s Breath.

“It smells a lot better than it sounds,” he said.

Maroney said the store fills special orders for weddings, as well as fills empty jars and allows customers to customize their own gift baskets.

He said a lot of people bring in their old jars to be filled, adding that it’s cheaper and that the containers already match their décor.

Looking to the future, the Maroneys plan to expand their operations.

He said he and his wife are doing more candles and more fragrances — they plan to increase from more than 100 fragrances to about 150 by summer’s end — as well as develop a bath and body line and jewelry.

Maroney said he hopes to introduce the bath and body line this spring, and jewelry for Valentine’s Day.

“We’re trying to evolve into a gift shop and not just candles,” he said. “It’ll be a neat little addition.”

Herald staff writer Jodie Garcia can be e-mailed at jgarcia@ottawaherald.com.