The Corner Candle Shop (formerly 5B&Co. Candlemakers) is locally owned, operated and loved by the one-and-only Lori Woods. For over 17 years, Lori operated as 5B&Co. Candlemakers, hand-pouring specialty candles in the Brookside neighborhood she calls home. In the Fall of 2020, Lori began a new adventure as The Corner Candleshop.
"My neighbors shop here. They're my customers. I live and shop here in Brookside," said Lori, who hand-pours her specialty soy-wax candles right here in Brookside.
"It's important to have local mom-and-pop shops," said Lori. "Because that's what gives our neighborhood individuality and uniqueness. And we're the one and only The Corner Candleshop."
Love at First Scent
In the beginning, Lori just made votive candles. “That's it, a living off of votive candles and accessories. Now, The Corner Candleshop makes votives, tea lights, melter cubes, pillars, tins, jars, car fresheners, room spray, diffusers, and we sell our oils in small quantities. Over 17 years of candle making, we have increased the number of fragrances we offer to just over 175 scents.”
In November of 2002, Lori visited the original 5b & Co location in Weston during a weekend getaway. She instantly fell in love with the atmosphere. “The charm of the mom and pop shop, the aroma, the fact that candles were being hand poured in the back of the shop, the cat that ran underfoot, I loved the scents and the quirky names. Marsha had personality. I liked that.”
“I still remember some of the candles that made it into my first dozen candles--clean undies, flower shop, spiced wassail, red currant,” Lori remembers. “I took them home and absolutely loved them. I was not even an avid candle burner before then--everything was so fake and artificial—but I was hooked!”
Lori finally struck up the nerve to call Marsha in January to ask Marsha if she would consider a franchise agreement. “We met within the week at the Weston cafe and pretty much sealed the deal over a slice of pie,” Lori said. “C'est la vie.”
Lori has continued to hand-pour soy wax candles in her Brookside shop, making new scents and welcoming customers to sniff out their favorites. Even though the name has changes, she will continue to hand-pour candles on site in the back of her quaint Brookside shop and has even named a candle, Brookside Bungalow, after the beloved neighborhood.
“Candle making is an art and we take it seriously. By using the best oils, lead-free cotton wicks and clean burning soy-blended wax, and handcrafting our candles in small batches, we ensure that every product meets our high standards. We do not cut costs where oils are concerned because we want our fragrances to be as authentic as possible with no artificial undertone. We also blend several of our own scents so you will not find our exclusive candles sold by other brands or manufacturers.”
An Entrepreneur at Heart
“I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart,” Lori said. “When I was five- or six-years-old I was selling Kool-Aide in the driveway. At seven I was having garage sales selling anything I could sneak out of the house. At eight I was selling my friend’s dad’s vegetables out of a wagon and selling pot holders that I made on a loom to the farmers who lived behind me. As I turned nine and 10, I graduated to leaf-raking, car-washing, and baking for my neighbors. My best friend and I had a cookie-baking business that we delivered on our bikes. But that only lasted for two days. I went to school for everything but business and this is where life took me.”
Creating Her Own Scents
“I love to have my hands in creating scents that can only be found at The Corner Candleshop.” Lori said of owning her own business. “I love going to market to buy accessories and decor for the store, and seeing the trends and putting my own spin on what is current.”
The Neighborhood Candle Shop
As of 2020, Lori has made Brookside home for over 17 years – initially as 5B&Co and now as The Corner Candleshop. “Brookside is a charming, eclectic neighborhood that we love being a part of,” Lori said. “People are kind and there is a feeling of unity among neighbors, shoppers and business owners. We all live and work here we love to be and it feels great to preserve the shopping center as to the use that it was intended for.”
“I feel like I am providing a unique service to my neighborhood by handcrafting candles on a daily basis,” Lori said. “I have a small retail space so it is easier to stay focused on the candles.”
After 17 years, Lori said she knows what works: Provide a friendly, welcoming store environment with a genuinely unique product and amazing customer service and the customers will return.
The Corner Candleshop
6231 Brookside Plaza
816-361-6393
Your neighborhood Candlemaker for almost two decades (operated in Brookside for 17 years as 5B&CO Candlemakers)
Updated September 2020