By Julia Train
There’s a new hangout spot in Linwood for those who want to try a new activity for date night or a girls’ night.
Located in Central Square Shopping Center on New Road is Oak & Main Candle Co., where groups can gather with their own snacks and wine to make their own customized candles.
“People want a place to hang out. They don’t always want to go to a bar or a restaurant. They want to hang out, but they don’t know where to go,” said owner Sabrina Thomas, 34.
Thomas is a mother of four from Manahawkin who started her business journey making candles over nine years ago in her 800-square-foot condo. She sold 50-cent condiment containers at festivals and learned how to make candles from YouTube videos and a lot of trial and error.
Three years ago, Thomas opened the first candle bar in New Jersey, a 1200-square-foot store on Main St. in Manahawkin that doubles as her photography studio.
Now, she has two locations open five days a week and even sells body scrubs, jewelry and premade candles.
At both locations, groups of two or more can book a class.
For $49, participants spend 90 minutes creating their perfect candle. Then they choose a jar, with the option of either two 9-ounce jars or one 16-ounce luxury jar, and a scent. There are 96 different fragrances to choose from and up to three can be mixed in one jar.
After adding the wicks, participants pour the wax, which is soy coconut wax, stir the scents, and place the candles in the freezer to chill for around 15-20 minutes. During that time, the participants usually eat their snacks, talk and drink, according to Thomas.
Thomas uses soy coconut wax because it’s thicker, which leads it to burn slower and cleaner.
“For me, it’s really important to have candles that are clean, that don’t bother you, because I get really bad headaches and migraines quickly and I wanted a product that wouldn’t add to it,” said Thomas.
She said she uses soy wax rather than beeswax because it’s what she knows, and she feels she finally got the perfect recipe. Thomas also said it’s better for a container mold, while beeswax is better for pillar-type candles. Although it tends to be more expensive, she said she sticks with it because it fits her brand.
Unlike other candle-making locations, those who book a class sit separately from other groups at different tables so everyone has their own space.
The 2500-square-foot space is the largest candle bar in New Jersey and can hold up to 46 people, but closes for a private event with groups of 20 or more.
Thomas hosts private events such as birthday parties, graduation parties, bridal showers and more.
She also puts together themed nights. Recently, she held a Taylor Swift-themed event, which sold out. For Mother’s Day, Oak & Main Candle Co. will host a Mother’s Day Mimosa & Fruit Bar.
To book a class, visit https://oakandmaincandles.com.
Julia is a student at Rider University, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. At school, she writes and is news editor for The Rider News and is the News Director for the radio station, producing news updates. She’ll be graduating in the spring. Connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
