Baltimore Man Channels Life Experience & Travels Into Candle Business
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Black-owned candlemaker based in Baltimore is getting a lot of buzz because of its unique products and the inspiration behind them.
Kendal Brown is the owner of 228 Grant Street Candle Company, a Highlandtown-area business that makes candles using 100% soy wax. The fragrances they exude are inspired by nature, specifically the places Brown has lived and visited.
"Whenever I was writing a paper or writing a sermon—I used to be a pastor in a former life—I would always light a candle as part of that process," Brown told WJZ.
Brown said the name of his studio pays tribute to his maternal grandparents, Thurman and Clara Echols, and the home they together in Danville, Virginia.
"She was the queen of hospitality," Brown said of his grandmother. "You never stopped by her house without being offered something that was made by her hands."
Brown said he previously worked in higher education, but he longed to find an outlet for his creativity, like his grandmother. So, he looked up instructions, ordered supplies and began making candles.
Before he knew it, the business took off, particularly during the pandemic.
Since then, Brown's candles have been featured in New York Magazine and during appearances on national morning shows. The entrepreneur credits Baltimore with his success story, where his family has roots.
"Baltimore has making and manufacturing in its DNA and folks here love handmade goods and will support artisans in ways in which I have never seen in other communities," Brown told WJZ.
Brown recommends that customers choose a candle based on the mood they're trying to create. The company's candles are available for purchase online.
