When Misty and Dennis Akers opened The Candle Pour in Tampa in 2019, the couple envisioned a space where people could step away from their everyday lives for a custom candle-making experience. “We just loved the concept of creating something that was bringing people together. Today, there's so much opportunity for people to shop online and skip the personal relationships and experiences that you can have in person,” says Misty. “So we felt like providing a fulfilling experience was important when we were coming up with the business idea.”

The Candle Pour’s newest location opened in Downtown Sarasota in October, an expansion that was particularly special to Misty, who grew up visiting Sarasota. The new location marks the introduction of the candle-making experience to Sarasota, in which guests begin by sampling nearly 100 different fragrances. From there, in-store specialists help customers create a blend of their favorite fragrances and pour their personalized candles.

For Misty, the business is an opportunity to be part of customers’ special memories. “When we opened, we thought it could be a good business idea that people are interested in visiting, but it goes so much deeper than that. Our customers are celebrating some of the most special occasions in their lives, and they choose us to be a part of it,” she says. “I never anticipated how meaningful it would be.”

Looking ahead, Misty looks forward to welcoming more members of the Sarasota community to the store and continuing to share the unique concept with new visitors. “Everyone who's come in has been very positive, thinking about the next time they’ll come in,” says Misty. “It’s really exciting for us to hear that when people come in, they're already thinking about their next visit.”

The Candle Pour, 1443 Main St, Sarasota, thecandlepour.com, 941-870-2555.