Kobi Co. Opens Downtown Minneapolis Store

The mother-daughter-owned candle and wellness brand makes its foray into brick-and-mortar.

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Last week Tasha Harris and Kobi Gregory of local wellness company Kobi Co. opened the doors to their first storefront in downtown Minneapolis.

The duo's foray into brick-and-mortar comes just three years after launching in 2020, when Gregory, a longtime aromatherapy lover, turned to candle making as a way to cope with stress and anxiety brought on by distance learning. "It became a self-care ritual for her," says Harris, Gregory's mom and co-owner of the company.

After popping up with Gregory's soy candles at various markets and craft fairs around the Twin Cities, the ladies quickly learned there was an appetite for the products, and turned a hobby into a full-fledged business specializing in bath bombs, bath-salts, sprays, and a collection of soy candles (including the best-selling #PurpleRain and #Feelin'GoodAsHell, both complete with QR codes that link to a curated Spotify playlist for maximum self care).

"We hope to be a part of the resurgence of retail business in downtown Minneapolis," says Harris, about the new store, which is located across the street from the Target on Nicollet Mall. Harris also reports a high amount of foot traffic brought on by the theater district and sporting events.

The Nicollet Mall store offering reflects the brand's full product run, plus others from third-party brands—health and wellness-centric books, aromatherapy jewelry and specialty curated gift sets. In addition to the products, Harris and Gregory are offering candle, bath salt, and sugar scrub making workshops inside the studio.

Bonus: With each Kobi Co. purchase, a portion of the proceeds go toward the brand's annual scholarship for BIPOC women program to help with college education. 48 S. 9th St., Mpls., lovekobico.com, @lovekobico