The Butcher, The Baker & The Candlestick Maker… and the Future of Downtown St. Joseph

The butcher and the baker are gone. State Street Meats and Golden Brown Bakery both closed up shop in downtown St. Joseph earlier this year. But The Candlestick Maker has other ideas. In fact, he’s a big fan of what’s ahead for downtown and hopes to find a NEW Candlestick Maker to carry on in 2024.

Ed Bennett is a business partner with his mother, Judi Benninghoff, in The Candlestick Maker, an eclectic gift shop at 408 State Street, a couple of doors North of The Buck Burgers & Brew. The Candlestick Maker specializes in candles, fragrances, driftwood, soaps and colorful handmade craft items that help people warmly remember ‘special moments’ of their visit to—or everyday life in—St. Joseph, Michigan. “Inexpensive but meaningful,” as Ed puts it.

Bennett says about half of The Candlestick Maker’s customers are visitors, but the other half live here, at least a significant part of the year. “St. Joe is a year-round destination, unlike New Buffalo and South Haven. They almost shut down, but St. Joe has activities all year that keep people coming back, either for a weekend, or to their ‘second home’ in the area.”

Bennett recalls how things have changed in the 13 years since The Candlestick Maker opened its doors:

–Edgewater Development committed to making all spaces in the old Elks Building retail establishments.
–The Buck opened and created a new revenue stream when visitors browsed the shops while waiting for their table.
–Ryebelle’s opened and expanded, creating more foot traffic in the neighborhood
–The Pure Michigan campaign strengthened the brand of all the beach towns along lake Michigan.
–St. Joe Today, Cornerstone, and the Southwest MI Tourist Council piggybacked on the Pure Michigan campaign and a reliable, repeat stream of visitors developed from the very drivable, St. Louis, Chicago (already a presence), Indianapolis, and Cleveland markets.
–Curious Kids, The Carousel, and Silver Beach County Park made our area a very attractive draw to families vacationing.
–Harbor Shores and the adjacent Inn provided an attractive draw to an additional market visiting to play golf or attend the Sr. PGA tournaments
–The number of new events has made the area more of a regional hub for weekend business (Farmers’ Market, Antiques on the Bluff, Reindog Parade, Ice Carving Fest, Regatta Craft Fair, Beer Fest, to name a few).

Bennett is a huge fan of St. Joseph Today, the downtown promotion organization. He says, “Their track record is great. Being a part of SJT is an excellent value for downtown merchants and property owners—anyone who cares about St. Joe. They’ve made downtown a year-round thing!”

Looking ahead, Bennett would like to see the proposed Curious Kids Museum expansion project move forward. He sees it as a big draw for families and believes it will only get bigger with planned improvements. He’s a little puzzled by the City Commission’s reluctance to enthusiastically support the project.

Bennett also would like to see more hotel rooms in downtown St. Joseph. While new hotels along I-94 are helpful, he believes the location makes it too easy to go elsewhere and spend less time downtown. Rooms close to the Lake and downtown should be attractive all year and will drive more multi-day visitors.

It’s that continuing growth and bright future that Bennett hopes will help turn up a “new Candlestick Maker”— the next owner for the shop where he and his mother have invested thousands of hours and thirteen years of their lives.

Bennett explains that his Mom, Judi, is 82 and still working full-time in the store, usually at least six days a week. Ed has a full-time job as a manufacturer’s representative for an architectural metals company, traveling several states selling ornamental railings, fences and similar items. He still manages to work the Candlestick counter several days a week. “One of these days,” he says, “it’s going to be too much for us to handle. But it’s a great business for someone with a creative flair who loves meeting people and loves St. Joe.”

That precisely describes Ed’s mother, Judi Benninghoff, who began taking her handmade driftwood and beach glass items to craft shows decades ago and then showcased them, along with homemade candles and soaps at The Candlestick Maker. Someone with a similar background or life view would be a perfect match for The Candlestick Maker, in Bennett’s opinion.

The preferred timetable would be to find a successor soon and work alongside them this Fall, if desired by the new owner. If no one steps forward before 2023 year-end, it’s possible Bennett and Benninghoff will consider ending their run, making The Candlestick Maker another St. Joseph Memory. But with their pride in what they’ve accomplished as well as a strong belief in downtown St. Joseph’s future, it’s hard to imagine the 400 Block of State Street without The Candlestick Maker.