Flower shop owners launch candle-making venture

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Open for Business: Fleur Floral Studio LLC

The owners behind a flower shop near the intersection of Cherry Street and Pickwick Avenue have added a do-it-yourself candle concept to the Rountree neighborhood.

Husband and wife Garrett and Rose Cochran launched Heirloom Candle Bar LLC on Nov. 10 at 1423 E. Cherry St., Ste. 101. The new business shares space with Fleur Floral Studio LLC, which the couple opened in February 2021, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

At Heirloom, customers come in and select a vessel along with a variety of fragrance oils for their candle. They then pour their wax, place the wick, mix the products together and even name their candle, said Rose Cochran.

It’s a process she said averages around 30 minutes to complete. While pricing is determined by the steps in the candle-making process, such as the vessel size and fragrance oils selected, she said prices generally range $20-$75.

Cochran said she considered opening the candle bar venture for roughly a year but was waiting for the right timing.

“I like candles. I’m not as much of a candle lover as some people I know, but I’m really passionate about small business, and I really love Springfield,” she said. “Any business I open in Springfield, I want to feel like it has a purpose and is filling some sort of gap. Springfield can always use more activities to do.”

While Cochran said other locations for Heirloom, including Commercial Street and Branson Landing, were considered, she ultimately decided on the shared space option for her two businesses in the roughly 1,200-square foot shop. The candle bar has seating capacity for 24 and is available for walk-ins and reservations.

“It wasn’t a matter of price or all the moving logistics,” she said, noting startup costs for Heirloom were $9,000. “It was really the fact that I’m married and have a 1-year-old son. I can barely get to the one shop most days.”

That’s not to say that Fleur and Heirloom will remain in the same space for the long term. One of the businesses eventually will be on the move, but which one is yet to be determined, Cochran said. The couple remain on a three-year lease for an undisclosed rate with Pickwick and Cherry LLC, she said.

“I do love that area, so one will stay there,” she said of the Rountree neighborhood.