Local Candle Company Gets New Home in Downtown Tuscaloosa
A locally owned candle company is now open in a beautiful new space in downtown Tuscaloosa after doing business in Northport for several years.
Yellowhammer Candle Co. was first launched by Kyle and Amber Dunkling, who started making candles at home and selling them online. The couple rapidly outgrew their workspace when a fundraiser for a local elementary school drew orders for more than 1,500 candles at once.
They began making candles in a warehouse in downtown Northport and opened a physical store on Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard in 2021, but announced they would close in October 2022 due to entrepreneurial costs and health issues.
The brand was saved when another couple, Justin and Christy Williams, took over operations from the Dunklings last September and kept the store open through the end of the year.
Justin Williams said he works full-time in the city of Tuscaloosa's Department of Transportation and his wife works in childcare with the county school system, but they have an entrepreneurial spirit and saw the chance to rescue the company while also getting a headstart on owning something of their own.
"We were looking for a smart way to do something, to be small business owners, and this opportunity presented itself so we pursued it and made the purchase," Justin Williams told the Thread Saturday.
The Northport location closed in February, but Yellowhammer Candle Co. is back in business in a new store in downtown Tuscaloosa, just across from Government Plaza.
"The location in Northport had high vehicle traffic volume but very little foot traffic," Williams said. "We were looked at staying across the river because that's where it was originally established but nothing could be found that we felt would be a good business move."
He said he saw a For Lease sign in the window of their new home one day on the job with TDOT and knew this storefront, so close to Government Plaza and its year-round slate of events, could attract more curious customers.
Candles, room spritzes, air fresheners for the car and more are on offer, with new spring and summer scents available now and discounts available on any products remaining from winter or fall.
Right now, the store is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, but the Williams said they aim to start open on Wednesdays and Thursdays by the end of March.
Check out Yellowhammer Candle Co, soon in their new location on 7th Street downtown, and for more exclusive stories on restaurant and retail development across the area, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.