SLO County candle-making, apothecary shop is leaving the Arroyo Grande Village. Here’s why
Less than three years ago, business owner Karla Wenger opened her first brick-and-mortar store in Pismo Beach — and now, after expanding into a network of businesses around San Luis Obispo County, another move is on the horizon.
Originally starting as an online store in 2020, the Candle Bar opened on Price Street in Pismo Beach in April 2022, and quickly expanded into a spinoff body product shop in the Arroyo Grande Village in 2023.
The following year saw further growth for Wenger’s stores under her Mayan Collective brand, with her closing the Pismo Beach location after operations outpaced the small building and adding another store in San Luis Ranch.
Now, space constraints are again pushing the Mayan Collective business into a new home: sharing a roof with Greenhouse Coffee Co., which the Mayan Collective purchased in August 2024.
“It’s just we have a lot of big packages, and the Village cannot take that because that’s where we manufacture our candles, our products,” Wenger told The Tribune. “Since we bought Greenhouse, our vision is now to have events here and to bring our business from AG here.”
2 businesses, 1 roof: How new candle-cafe hybrid spot will work
Greenhouse’s space at 1064 E Grand Ave. faces the street, accessible by doors on the front and side of the building.
Behind it, Greenhouse’s space is also connected to a smaller space that features a loading dock — just what the Candle Bar needs to handle its growing shipping and manufacturing needs, Wenger said.
“We used to buy 5 gallon containers of laundry detergent, let’s say, and distribute it to people, and they would refill it,” Wenger said. “Now, we’re buying drums, but we don’t have the space, so now everything is sitting on my house — I need to get everything out.”
As is, Greenhouse subleases the space to Everyday Church, which it uses as an office and storage space, but they recently ended the lease to make way for the Candle Bar, Wenger said.
The new space should be able to support the same level of business as the Village location, featuring a new Candle Bar where customers can book candle-making classes.
Mayan Collective products — which have grown into a range of phthalate-free bath bombs, body lotions, bar soaps and other body care — will be available for purchase, along with pre-made candles, Wenger said.
Like its predecessor, the new location will also carry body products and other merchandise made by San Luis Obispo County small businesses.
Now that Wenger will hold the lease for the entire building, Greenhouse may be able to put more patio seating near the back of the building, and its storefront can connect customers to the Candle Bar in the back, she said.
New location to open soon
Wenger said the new location is aiming to open on March 1, closing the Arroyo Grande location and moving inventory and equipment to the new Candle Bar.
She said she hopes to emulate some of the vibes of San Luis Ranch in the new pairing of businesses, with multiple businesses and event space overlapping.
Musical events, holiday festivities and other community uses could be coming to Greenhouse once the relocation has settled, Wenger said.
“I am a very people person, so events are my love language,” Wenger said.
Still, with so much expansion and change in the Mayan Collective’s businesses over the past two years, Wenger said she wants to shift her focus to improving her product and keeping her businesses running smoothly.
“We have a lot of ideas, but I don’t want to open any other stores, and just want to focus on what we have,” Wenger said.
