Blue Pearl Candle, a candle shop and candle bar in downtown Homewood, officially celebrated its grand opening with the village of Homewood on Friday, Oct. 17. Blue Pearl owner Kim Rowe said she was “beyond happy” because moving her business to the downtown area has long been a goal of hers and she achieved it after years of hard work.

Blue Pearl first opened on the northern edge of Dixie Highway in Homewood near Balagio Ristorante and the Calumet Metra station in January 2022. Rowe said the store’s visibility at that location was greatly inferior to its current location at 2050 Ridge Road.

“Whenever there was a retail opening, [the village] would send me a list. I would contact the building owner. I’d go take a look and figure out whether or not it was a good spot for me,” Rowe said. “Some of them were way too expensive. […] But this place was very reasonably priced and it’s in a prime location.”

After Homewood village officials cut the blue ribbon, Rowe cheered joyfully and hugged Allisa Opyd, Homewood Business Association executive director.

“We are thrilled to have another locally, independently owned business here in Homewood,” Opyd said. “Candles are always needed every season.”

“The business accentuates the downtown renaissance that’s clearly happening in Homewood – the Metra station, the Ridgewood, the Hartford building, Stoney Point [Grill],” Homewood Village Manager Napoleon Haney said, listing some of downtown Homewood’s renovations and developments in the last few years.

“So, we want to encourage everyone to come out and buy candles. Buy all the candles you need,” Haney continued. “Don’t go to the big stores. Shop local.”

“Both she and her daughter operate the store – and they’re the loveliest people you ever wanted to meet,” Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld said about Rowe and her daughter, Terrianna Rowe, a senior at Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

The candles and body oils sold at Blue Pearl are made entirely with plant-based ingredients. The store hosts classes on how to make candles. Even when classes aren’t in session, Rowe said candlemakers can stop by the store and use her more than 70 available scents to make their candles.