New candle bar opens in downtown Fresno's Brewery District

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Business is starting to boom in Downtown Fresno's Brewery District.

More companies are sprouting up in the newly renovated space known as the historic Sun Stereo Warehouse.

Including the new candle bar business, "Joy's Velitas," which means "small candles" in Spanish.

"Especially with downtown being completely revitalized, I feel like this is the time to be in Fresno," says owner Joy Alvarado. "We need to invest in Fresno. Fresno is going to do big things."

Alvarado says the business idea started after she and her partner went through dozens of candles in their new at-home spa room.

"At the end of every week, I would look in the trash and there would be piles of jars and I thought that was super wasteful, there has to be a better way to repurpose them or give them a second wind," she said.

That's when she started learning about cement and the sustainable candle.

"We all need to do our part to be somewhat sustainable," she said. "If we can start as small as a candle, I feel like we are all trying to move and do our part."

From her garage to a brick and mortar store, you can kick back, enjoy the music and catch a vibe in the small space.

Joy walks you through the entire process of making candles in her one-hour workshops.

She will give you a kit to explore fragrances and pick your edible flower and stones.

Plus, there are tasty non-alcoholic drinks with adaptogens to set the mood.

She says it's a one-of-a-kind experience for customers to bond and relax.

"I've had bridal showers, I've had couples, I've had just a group of friends, I've had mother and daughters or even mothers and fathers come in," Alvarado said.

You can also shop for different shaped candles. She's open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 pm to 9 pm.

Joy also creates her own concerte candle vessels for purchase where you can come back, refill it or repurpose it.

For more information, visit their Instagram page.