Local Business Spotlight - Waxman Candles
Meet Mitch Werts, owner of Waxman Candles. This family run business offers candles for nearly every use and occasion in a wide array of colors and sizes and have been making candles for over 50 years! Read our interview with Mitch to learn more about his favorite moments of running the business and some local spots he loves.
Give us a small backstory of how your business started.e bWaxman Candles started in Lawrence, KS in 1970 transforming from my father’s hobby into a full-blown business. We wanted to open our 2nd location here in Chicago as a natural progression to a larger Midwest market. Partnering with a local Chicago contact, who is still involved to this day, Waxman Chicago opened its doors in 1996. I moved to Chicago after graduating from the University of Kansas and have managed the store since 2013.
What are some of your favorite moments of running your business?
As a small business, the support of our local community is vital to our existence and success. Seeing our regulars, whether they be weekly shoppers or someone who just shops us once a year, really makes our day. Connecting and interacting with our community makes running the business worth it.
What is one thing that many people may not know about you or your business?
We have candles for nearly every use and occasion in a wide array of colors and sizes but if there is a holder you love that had a candle in it previously or even an empty vessel, we can turn it into a candle!
Do you have any hobbies that you do outside of running your business?
Outside of running Waxman I love playing ultimate frisbee along the lake front. I also enjoy bouldering/rock climbing at the gyms throughout the city and even at the outdoor boulder in Palmisano Nature Park.
What are some businesses you love in Lakeview or Roscoe Village?
We love buying delicious, usable gift items for friends and family from Southport Grocery & Cafe. On nice days we love going and sitting out on patio 90 Miles Cuban Café. In the winter we like squeezing in at the bar down the street at Farm Bar.
What are the best ways people can support your business right now?
We have a large store front so shopping socially distanced in-store is always viable if you are unsure what you’re looking for. If you are familiar with our product you can always call in and place a curbside pickup order.
