Seymour natives Mark and Phyllis Cupp are the owners of downtown Seymour’s Oma & Opa’s Pour House located at 114 N. Chestnut St.

Here, customers can come in and purchase candles and candle products. The biggest selling point of Oma & Opa’s, however, is having the ability to create your very own candles.

Mark and Phyllis had owned businesses before, and originally, their previous business was going to be their last. Retirement had them thinking about what they were going to do next.

While they didn’t want to have a typical 9 to 5 job anymore, they figured they should look into something to make their lives still interesting.

In 2022, they started working on a candle business while still holding their day-to-day jobs. From there, they created a Shopify website, launching it during Christmas time. Mark remembered what Phyllis told him when they were just an online shop: “People really would like to smell candles if they’re gonna buy them.”

“It’s not a good business model,” said Mark, but he was concerned about having a physical location. He didn’t want them to be tied down to work in their retirement. He also didn’t want to just sit around and sell candles.

The Cupp’s children lived in the Indianapolis area, where candle pouring shops were more prevalent. This gave Mark and Phyllis an idea.

Thanks to resources such as YouTube, the couple explored the world of candlemaking.

At home, they conducted a trial run for the candle pouring, figuring out what did and didn’t work through constructive criticism from their participants. Once they decided this was worth pursuing, they were on a hunt for a location.

Having lived in Seymour for most of their lives, the couple wanted to be in their hometown, but finding the right place wasn’t easy. They almost bought a place in Columbus, but a friend they were in contact with let them know that a spot in downtown Seymour opened up. That shop became home for pour house.

“I’m glad we discovered this idea to bring something to Seymour for people to do,” Mark said. Families have shared this sentiment with the Cupps. According to Mark, some families have thanked them and said that “there’s nothing for [them] to do as a family in Seymour.”

Oma & Opa’s Pour House opened their doors last year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Events hosted at the Pour House vary in demographic, having hosted church groups, birthdays, sororities, work-related team-building groups, brides and bridesmaids, and so many others. It’s opened for all people, regardless of age and background.

The candlemaking experience markets itself as best suited for ages 10 and older, but people can still enjoy their time as young as five and as old as 85, as long as the individuals are aware of dangerous elements involved like hot wax.

A memorable event for the couple was a group of Japanese women that came and were boisterous, laughing and talking as they made their candles.

“There might have been a language barrier, but not,” Phyllis said. The art of candle making transcended language.

“It didn’t matter that we couldn’t understand each other,” she added. “There was just a lot of laughter and joy.”

Making candles isn’t just for the women, either. Phyllis said that while they have a majority of female customers, “a lot of men appreciate candles.” The process of candlemaking also involves some mixology and chemistry, which can attract their male audience.

“It just seems like people are looking for the experience,” Phyllis said.

During the holidays is when they expect to be their busiest. Mark and Phyllis have gotten tips from other candlemaking businesses, foreseeing a drop in sales over the summer and a rise in October.

Easter and Valentine’s Day were other popular times to come to the Pour House. Phyllis didn’t consider it before, but “Galentine’s,” a spin on Valentine’s Day for your “gal pals,” brought in a lot of friends to celebrate.

Candlemaking shops aren’t a new business, but Mark and Phyllis have made sure to keep things fresh and put their own twist on things.

Customers can “come up with their own unique fragrance that nobody else can duplicate,” said Mark. With over 60 fragrances to blend in different ratios and 14 jars (with two more on the way), each candle is one of a kind. Guests are also provided with labels to name their candles.

“People have very different ideas of what smells good,” Phyllis said.

To help inspire first-time candle makers, Mark and Phyllis also have a menu for their guests to look at with suggestions on blends that may work best together. There are scents that range from woody and earthy to sweet and food-based, like chocolate.

Along with the candlemaking, Oma and Opa’s Pour House still offers their pre-poured candles and candle products. One of these candle products are candle lamps that, instead of using fire, use heat to allow the scents to waft around.

“There was a lady who lived in an assisted living place that couldn’t burn a candle,” Mark said. Other situations that work well for the lamps include households with children or pets.

While Mark and Phyllis have already gone above their initial retirement plan, the ambitious duo don’t stop there. Oma and Opa’s is a candlemaking place for now, but if they wanted to, they could still be more.

“If we do expand and get into maybe some other things, the name still works,” Phyllis said, “because we’re always gonna be grandma and grandpa.”