GLOUCESTER-Sebastian Brock opened Coral Bay Candle • Body • Soul Saturday, October 30 off Ware Neck Road in Gloucester. He’s leased the space that was last occupied by Morning Glory Gallery.
Brock began Coral Bay Candle in 2019 from his home in Newport News. Primarily focusing on candle sales at the time, his online business proved to be more than successful, and he hired two employees to assist him. “We were so busy, we literally couldn’t keep up,” said Brock. “I knew it was time to branch out and look for a studio.”
Brock grew up in Gloucester and formed a lot of connections along the way. It wasn’t long before he found the perfect spot for a storefront location. He signed the lease on the new space in September 2020. Offering more room than he was accustomed to, the ideas of “what could be” took over, and he decided to take a risk.
“I knew we could do a lot more in addition to the candles, so I took a year off and focused on product development and research development,” said Brock. “We created a ton of new products that year.” Brock is currently adding 390 products to his online shop’s website.
A few of his newly-manufactured items include bath bombs, reed diffusers, shower steamers, wax melts, and sugar scrubs. He’s also finishing up a line of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel, in addition to lotion and body butter, which should be done by the end of the year.
Brock put a temporary sign facing the Ware Neck Road to attract potential customers while he awaits the arrival of his new storefront signage. He said the last occupant had been at his current location for roughly 20 years, and he’s getting creative with ways to attract attention to the new business. “We’ve made a lot of changes to the exterior, did some landscaping, and rearranged things in the parking lot,” said Brock. “It’s magical to see what some red mulch can do.”
His efforts were successful, as many new shoppers have stopped by to check out the new kid on the block. “It’s been exciting, and business has been very steady,” said Brock.
Coral Bay Candle • Body • Soul is located at 7840 Ware Neck Rd., Gloucester. Store hours are 10am to 6pm Monday through Thursday and 10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday. The shop is closed on Sunday. For more information, please contact the store at 804-699-3063 or visit their website at coralbaycandle.com.
