The Studio, a new branch of North Side-based retailer PGH Candle, is slated to open on Saturday, March 28.
The new location, branded as an “experiential retail business,” is among a cascade of new storefronts supported by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s (PDP) “Project Pop-Up.”
Owner Kayla Branca said the store will offer gifts worth up to $20 for anyone who visits on opening day. Branca said she is excited to expand her business into Downtown.
“We hope that with shops like ours opening up, and some of these nicer restaurants that have gone in … that it can let the people in the suburbs know like Downtown is not scary,” Branca said. “Downtown is not what you see on the news every night.”
Cate Irvin, the PDP’s senior director of economic development, shared Branca’s excitement.
Irvin heads the “Project Pop-Up” effort, which is aiming to fill half of Downtown’s nearly 50 empty storefronts by the time the NFL Draft comes to town in late April, according to Pittsburgh’s Public Source.
“This is exactly the kind of experiential, hands-on concept that brings energy to our storefronts and gives people a reason to spend time Downtown in new ways,” Irvin said in a press release for the new storefront. “It’s a great example of how small businesses can test and grow in our district while creating meaningful experiences for residents and visitors alike.”
“Project Pop-Up” is a rent abatement program intended to offset part of the cost of opening a new business Downtown. It subsidizes part of a business’s rent for up to a year after the business’s opening.
Beyond the PDP, Branca also credited Mayor Corey O’Connor’s initiative to beautify Downtown ahead of the Draft, crediting both the PDP and his administration for bringing businesses back into the Golden Triangle.
She also gave props to the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, who Branca said was a big help in bringing PGH Candle Downtown.
“We hope this marks the beginning of [a] … long tenure for PGH Candle in this historic retail corridor,” Michael Sriprasert, the president of the foundation, said in a press release.
Branca said she hopes the main draw of PGH Candle’s new Downtown branch is its candle-making bar.
Guests are invited to mingle, drink wine and make candles at the store’s bar. The store’s atmosphere is purposefully home-y, Branca said, so guests can relax while their candles set.
PGH Candle had offered that sort of candle workshop event prior to expanding Downtown.
“Our North Side store is just a little bit too small to offer [candle-making] all the time,” Branca said. “We always knew we wanted to offer that, so this kind of seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out.”
PGH Candle first opened in 2016. It’s a wholesale business that specializes in soy wax candles, which are known for their steady burn.
“I wanted to create a candle that burned evenly all the way down while smelling really strong for an affordable price,” Branca said — her products range from $20 to around $35.
The store is planned to be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations for the candle bar can be made online at pghcandle.com.
