Popular Pismo Beach candle shop just opened sister store in SLO County. Take a look
A popular Pismo Beach candle shop now has a sister location in San Luis Obispo County.
Apothecary Refill Station by The Mayan Collective started its soft opening period at 101 W Branch St. in the Village of Arroyo Grande in late May, and will formally open June 24.
It’s the second store opened by The Mayan Collective founder and owner Karla Wenger.
“We wanted to split in two because we heard or community saying they didn’t want to go to Pismo for Candle Bar,” Wenger said. “Local people are the ones that are coming here. Nobody has come (from) out of town here.”
Like Candle Bar, Apothecary Refill Station specializes in environmentally-friendly, non-toxic home and body products — with a special focus on customization and refills.
“It is really challenging to live a zero-waste life, but we can try to reduce (waste),” Wenger told The Tribune. “People are coming in here and telling us ‘Thank you so much for opening something like this,’ because the closest (alternative) is in Monterey, and the other one is in Santa Barbara.”
New SLO County shop specializes in eco-friendly products
While Candle Bar specializes in phthalate-free, reusable candles that customers can create themselves, Apothecary Refill Station expands its offerings to include everyday products such as soap, shampoo, baby powder, lotion, laundry detergent and wood cleaner.
Customers can pick out a container to fill or bring their own, Wenger said.
Shoppers then pick a phthalate-free product from the store’s collection and select a scented oil to add their favorite fragrance, she said.
Wenger said all products sold at the store are organic and free of processed goods.
“We provide a lot of education to our customers regarding what is toxin-free and what are chemicals that can be avoided,” she said.
On return visits, customers can refill their containers with their favorite, Wenger said.
There’s also a candle bar where customers can learn how to make their own candles through Sip Melt & Pour and Pop In & Pour classes.
Arroyo Grande store features classes, local products
In addition to customizable candles and home and body products, Apothecary Refill Station will offer classes by local makers, Wenger said.
These include classes on soap making, cookie baking and macrame weaving classes — even charcutiere board workshops, she said.
Besides its own products, Apothecary Refill Station features a variety of local and non-local home products, all of which are vegan and eco-conscious, Wenger said.
The storefront features bath bombs and bar soaps from San Luis Obispo County-based soap maker Avem Bath, along with macrame, coasters and earrings from local maker Woven Handmade.
The cement vessels used in the candle bar section of Apothecary Refill Station are made by SLOcure, a local cement product maker based in San Luis Obispo County.
From outside of the county, customers can find deodorant from Humble Brand; bamboo hairbrushes, toothbrushes and dish scrubbers from Jungle Culture and dish soap bars, stain removers and laundry concentrate from Tangie.
Some products are imported from Wenger’s home country of Guatemala, including handmade bags colored by organic dyes, Wenger said.
Proceeds benefit children in Guatemala
Wenger said both stores owned by The Mayan Collective support charitable efforts in Guatemala.
At least 10% of proceeds go toward supporting children in need in San Francisco de Sales, Guatemala. La Casa de Elías Internacional in Houston coordinates with churches in the region.
This year, the funds will be used to help children who need school supplies, Wenger said.
Wenger said it was important to stock sustainable products that aligned with her company’s zero-waste goals.
“Sustainability is important ... Coming from a country where there’s not so much abundance, I see here how much we as a country waste,” Wenger said. “I want to encourage people to try to be more mindful of how much they are using stuff and what’s wasted.”
More about Apothecary Refill Station
Apothecary is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 805-202-8080 or visit themayancollective.com/pages/refill-station.
