Father-Son Team Grows Cork & Candles Franchise

Candle-Making Franchise Offers Opportunity in Experiential Retail

Cork & Candles may be an emerging franchise brand, but the father and son behind it are not new to franchising or business. Dave Straub spent much of his career building companies and operating franchises. His son, Kenny, worked in the family’s stores throughout his childhood. “Growing up, my parents owned two ice cream franchises in the Philadelphia market,” Kenny says. “I always loved working in their stores. After college, I began a career in private equity, but I wanted to be more entrepreneurial and build something for myself.”

Kenny brought the idea for Cork & Candles to his father after studying experience-based businesses. He was onto something. Experiential retail continues to gain traction as consumers look for more than a transaction. Gensler’s 2024 U.S. Consumer Experience Report found that people are twice as likely to spend extra money on experiences than material goods, creating opportunity for franchise brands that turn everyday activities into memorable moments.

Cork & Candles blends retail, entertainment and events. The candle-making franchise allows guests to create custom candles in an interactive workshop, and offers a business model that doesn’t require long hours or operational complexity. Dave was all in on launching the business, not just because of the strong concept and the chance to work alongside his son, but because he saw an opportunity to continue building on the family’s entrepreneurial legacy.

Dave’s father, an artist who worked in wood, painting, metal, fabric and wax, introduced him to candle making when he was just 12 years old. Together, they studied books, experimented with supplies and learned the craft side by side. As his skills developed, Dave narrowed his focus to three designs: a Christmas tree candle, a tapered candle and an ice box candle. What began as a creative project soon became a real business. He loaded his samples into a wagon, went door-to-door to take orders and then returned home to handcraft and deliver each candle himself.

“Besides grass cutting and newspaper delivering, candle making was my first venture into entrepreneurship,” he says.

His childhood experience gave him an appreciation for the science behind candle making and a love of creating something meaningful with his hands. Today, the Christmas tree candle is part of Cork & Candles’ December novelty collection.

“It is very rewarding to understand the properties of the different types of wax and then to use that understanding to make candles that are a work of art,” he says. “Although I love the art aspect, the truth is Cork & Candles is a space where friends can gather to make memories. We guide our guests through the process with ease, allowing them to put their energies into having fun. Everyone goes home having had a great time and they take with them candles to keep that memory alive.”

The Experience

“The Cork & Candles experience feels more like a night out than a class. Our job is to facilitate fun,” Kenny says. Most guests book online and typically come for 90-minute sessions. Guests choose from a scent library that has more than 45 different fragrances, then staff members guide them through blending and pouring. “Every candle is completely custom,” Kenny says. “And we accelerate the cooling process so guests can go home with their candles at the end of their visit. It’s an experience where nobody has to be artsy. You could be a first-time candle maker, or you could have made candles for a living and the end product’s going to be the same.”

Because Cork & Candles is BYOB, customers often treat it like a social event. “They come for birthdays, date nights and anniversaries,” Kenny says. “Our nature is to socialize, and we all saw how important that was after the COVID pandemic. The timing is right to be in this growing space of experiential retail.”

Cork & Candles also hosts team-building events. “Companies like Vanguard have done 20-plus events at our store,” Dave says. The brand has built-in repeat business through multiple revenue streams. “We have the signature experience, a novelty experience that rotates monthly and a retail section.”

The Franchise Opportunity

Offering franchise opportunities since 2023, Cork & Candles has one franchise open and eight others in development. The stores can fit in 1,500-to-2,500-square-foot retail spaces and the buildout is simple. “Once the lease is signed, a store can be open within three months,” Dave says.

The Straubs are looking for candidates who genuinely enjoy being around people and love service and hospitality. The model works for owner-operators, but can also support multi-unit growth over time. “We understand what it feels like to take the leap, and we’ve built the support system we once wished we had in our own businesses,” Dave says. “We want to provide the assistance to our franchisees because our success only happens if they’re successful.”

Learn more about the Cork & Candles franchise opportunity.