Less than a quarter mile down the street is Heather’s Coffee and Cafe, where Johnson worked as a manager and held oil and jewelry-making classes before opening a storefront. Johnson, 42, also set up shop at vendor fairs to sell her jewelry and natural bath and beauty products before taking the plunge to open her storefront Feb. 4.
The store specializes in holistic bath and body care, oils, jewelry, handmade leather bags and accessories, boho-chic clothing and other home items that support a laid back lifestyle, Johnson said.
The store also hosts parties for birthdays, church groups and bridal parties, that come with classes revolving around essential oils, jewelry making, floral arrangements and other homemade arts and health remedies. There will also be special events every third Thursday of the month in collaboration with Springboro’s ladies night.
“I’m trying to make it like an experience here,” Johnson said. “It’s not just your typical store that you just go in and buy stuff. It’s kind of like a lifestyle store; you have fun in here; you gain something besides just a cute outfit when you leave.”
As a certified aromatherapist, oils like the popular Essential Oils are a major portion of business, Johnson said. Holistic bath and beauty products without toxins, parabens or perfumes like those featured at Johnson’s store are becoming increasingly popular in the natural health industry.
»RELATED: Family Dollar closing nearly 400 stores, rebranding 200
By 2025, the global organic personal care market is expected to be worth $25.11 billion, according to research firm Grand View Research. In the United States alone it is expected to exceed $7.7 billion.
“If you truly sit down and think about the things that you put on your skin on a daily basis and the chemicals that are in the products that we use, really look at it, it’s frightening,” said Heather Sukola, owner Heather’s Coffee and Cafe as well as friend and former employer of Johnson. “It’s a lifestyle…it’s learning what the chemicals do to your body, and your mind and spirit quite honestly because its all linked.”
Sukola said she plans to continue a partnership with Johnson to hold classes that are too large for the store on the patio of her coffee shop.
Johnson is expecting to grow, but said she isn’t looking too far ahead to another store. Her main focuses now are to continue growing her class sizes and building her customer base. She hasn’t hired any employees yet, but hopes to by the summer so she can continue attending some of the shows where she previously opened pop-ups.
The store is open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be closed on Sunday and Monday but classes can be scheduled during hours the store isn’t open.
FIVE FAST READS
• Ohio dairies closing amid four years of near record lows milk prices
• Gap to close 230 stores, split from Old Navy
• Victoria’s Secret closing more than 50 stores
• Luxury apartments, townhouses, carriage homes coming to Huber Heights
About the Author