FEATURE
Lanterne Candle Lab Founder : Astisya Siswanto What it is : An in-person candlemaking workshop with a focus on East Asian scents , such as lychee and bubble tea .
While Chinatown is home to a variety of businesses , ranging from mom-and-pop shops to foodie-favorite restaurants and cafes , there hasn ’ t been a business quite like Lanterne Candle Lab before .
As the name implies , Lanterne enables customers to create their own soy-coconut wax candles using a variety of vessel and scent options . One of the things that sets this candle shop apart from others is the specific range of scents available for customers to choose from . In addition to standard candle scents like tuberose and lemongrass , there are also bamboo , boba and lychee .
Astisya Siswanto opened the shop in August 2021 , but the process wasn ’ t exactly straightforward . In addition to self-funding , together with her mother , Siswanto had trouble even finding a landlord who felt comfortable renting her a storefront .
“ One of the challenges was actually convincing the building owner to let me run a business from there , because the concept is not a very common one ,” Siswanto explained . “ If it was a cafe or a restaurant , that would have been easier for them to envision . But since it was a new concept to them , they had a really hard time grasping , like , would I be able to pay them rent ?”
Located on the corner of Mulberry Street and Bayard Street , Lanterne Candle Lab is only a few steps away from local hot spots , such as The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory , which – much like the candle lab – offers a variety of Asian-inspired options such as black sesame , lychee and durian , alongside more standard Western ones . Mei Lai Wah Bakery , known for the constant queue of customers lining up for roast pork buns , is also nearby .
“ My intention was really to bring people back together ,” said Siswanto , who opened the shop at a time when customers still had to wear masks and show their vaccination cards . “ It was a time when there was a lot of
risk in starting a business . But thankfully , everything worked out .”
While Siswanto lamented the challenges that New York City ’ s Chinatown faced during the pandemic , and the closure of many decades-old businesses , she is excited to be part of the next generation of entrepreneurs bringing life back to the neighborhood .
“ The cool thing about candles is that once you ’ re done making them , it takes about an hour to set . So in that time , we actually encourage our guests to go out and support
DIY candle-making studio Lanterne Lab offers scents like bamboo , boba and lychee .
other local businesses in our area .”
In celebration of the store ’ s first anniversary , Lanterne Candle Lab hosted a pay-what-you-wish candle-making event that drew over 300 people , with all proceeds going towards Welcome to Chinatown ’ s Longevity Fund .
Looking ahead , Siswanto said there are plans in the works to launch a second Lanterne Candle Lab on the West Coast and to expand the e-commerce site to stock ready-made candles for those who are unable to visit the store in person . ►
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