MILL CREEK — At a time when people are whittling their shopping lists, Mill Creek businessman John Klier and his wife, Jamie, are selling a product that’s both affordable and that people will buy despite the recession.
The couple, together with his father, Johnathon Klier, own Happy Hour Can
dle Co., a Mill Creek-based company specializing in soy candles that follow tongue-in-cheek beverage themes.
The idea for the company came to Klier one night while sipping cocktails. He saw a martini glass near lit candles and decided to blend the two.
“The happy hour theme is fun,” Klier said.
Klier said inspiration for candles comes from perusing bar menus when he and his wife go out.
Candles from the “Cocktail Bar” and “Martini Lounge” lines are served in cocktail glasses. A combination of pineapple and coconut replicate a pina colada and the right amount of strawberry fragrance oil goes into his best-seller, the strawberry daiquiri. Last week, they launched the “Tata-tini,” a pink, passion fruit-scented candle with proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which funds breast cancer research.
In addition to cocktails, Klier combines chocolate and espresso for candles served in coffee mugs.
Klier said his wife came up with the company’s name and the two expanded on a light-hearted happy hour theme to avoid the sometimes uptight image around candles and home decorating.
Klier said the theme is guy-friendly. And he is toying with creating a novelty line for men featuring candles with masculine scents (pot roast, anyone?), appropriately called “man-dles.”
A new food-themed line includes cotton candy- and sugar cookie-scented candles. The oatmeal cookie scent is another one of his top sellers. Additionally, he is working with a team to create a purple-blue candle in support of the March of Dimes Foundation. He’d eventually like to create a bubble gum-scented candle for Seattle Children’s hospital.
The company also offers unscented candles by request and will customize colors for weddings.
Klier warns that people who buy candles and refuse to burn them because they’re too pretty probably won’t mix with Happy Hour Candle Co.
“I want people to burn mine and not just look at them,” Klier said. “I intended for them to be burned.”
Besides, burning is the only way to get down to the containers. Customers are encouraged to reuse the glasses; soy is biodegradable and will easily wash out, Klier said.
Klier opted for soy candles over petroleum-based paraffin for a variety of reasons. They burn longer and cleaner, melted soy doesn’t get as hot, and the soy he uses comes from U.S. farmers. Additionally, soy can be replaced faster than the rate it’s used, unlike petroleum-based paraffin.
“It’s an eco-friendly product,” he said.
Coming out of the holiday rush, Klier said they make a point of selling candles for $10 or less to make sure they are not exclusive.
Klier said he’d like the local, family business to expand nationwide. They are on their way.
Without storefront property, Klier sells the candles online and through seven retailers in Washington, Oregon, California, Virginia and Florida. In Washington, the candles are sold at Lady Latte in Mill Creek, Country Village in Bothell, Gathering Glass Designs in Bellingham and Sunshine’s Serenity Shoppe in Kirkland, which is owned by Klier’s mother.
One drawback of selling online is customers can’t smell the products before buying. To help, Klier is working on creating $1 samples people can have sent to their homes. In the meantime, they recently began booking house parties to sell the candles to groups, which allows customers to see and smell the products. So far, his wife has attended around 30 parties.
The possibility of having a retail space is one Klier will look at six months to a year down the line.
Observing overpriced candle companies and ones that use paraffin wax, Klier decided to strike.
“With the economy the way it is, it seemed like a good time to start something up,” he said. “We can come in cheaper while other candle companies are closing.”
The company officially opened last summer starting with $100 and since then building up home and party sales.
“So far it’s going well,” Klier said.
Katie Murdock is editor at The Enterprise.
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