Mars Hill – Mars Hill residents Kendall and Brian Chandler worked at the local school for many years and are now moving into Act Two after retiring from teaching.
The Chandlers started a business in downtown Mars Hill in Quill and Honey, selling local natural products, home and body products, including Kendall Chandler’s homemade soaps.
Kendall Chandler retired in June 2022 after teaching at Buncombe County Schools for almost 20 years. Her husband, Brian Chandler, said West she served as the principal of Buncombe Elementary School, which she retired in 2022.
“He retired last year, so we were able to do this together,” Chandler said. Wasn’t what I expected, but better. Great.”
Chandler graduated from Mars Hill College in 2005 and worked as a teacher’s assistant in a Buncombe County school for two years prior to graduation.
“Quill and Honey is mine, so whatever the bath or body is, I make it in the shop here,” Chandler said. So I started online and just recently moved here, all the body stuff I make.”
Chandler commenced operations in the first week of October 2022.
The building is owned by Mars Hill University, from which Kendall Chandler rents the building.
Quill and Honey works with many vendors in western North Carolina, including Hart Llamas from Leicester, English Woodworks from Mars Hill, Knotted Moss Earrings from Candler, and crafts made from scrap quilts from Ross and Pines. is featured. spruce pine.
Additionally, the shop is home to SNIG Indie Wear, which offers jewelry, clothing, and accessories, as well as Magnolia and Wren clothing from Burnsville. Quill and Honey also has a spotlight on hand-crafted leather goods by Weaverville-based artisans and fly-hi rods manufactured by Candler-based Trout-hi Cruisers Unlimited.
“Most of them I have met at the market because I have done a lot of pop-up markets in the area. It’s been a while,” Chandler said.
According to Chandler, she started making homemade soap in 2017.
“In 2017, I named my business,” she said. So I started, I was playing around with essential oils and they told me to make soap.
Every Monday, I did a little thing called “Make It Monday” on Facebook, and taught online how to make things with things around the house and essential oils. Eventually people asked me to sell it to them instead of making it myself. ”
But owning a business wasn’t in the plans until last year, according to Chandler.
“This wasn’t the plan,” Chandler said. “Four million years later, I would never have dreamed that I would be a shopkeeper. ) is an approximate face.The schedules are different.The jobs are different.There is nothing that is not different.In other words, working with people is essentially the same.We work with small people but now they are grown people.
Community reaction
Chandler said the community reaction to the new business has been “amazing.”
“It was more than I expected,” Chandler said. .I have to meet people from my husband’s past.It was nice to get to know the people.They were very kind.They keep coming back again and again.This is a shock Every time people come back and get more stuff, it makes me so humbled.It’s something I made and it’s a really humbling experience for me.”
Initially, Chandler contacted the university about moving into the space that now houses the new bar at Rios Mexican Kitchen.
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“I had no intention of opening a store. I thought about it and dreamed about it, but I never thought it would become a reality,” Chandler said. It was a small space I thought I might have room for, so I sent the (Mars Hill University) President (Tony) Floyd a Facebook message.
“I was like, ‘Well, Lord, if that’s your will, I’m going to do it. And if he answers a message on Facebook, please do.’ is already in use, but I said I could come and see it.
Leases for the building began on August 1, 2022, Chandler said.
Since the Chandlers moved in, other Mars Hill shop owners have shown nothing but love to their new business owner.
“They were so great,” Chandler said. “The owner of Wild Violet (Michele Clark), her daughters are here. They are all wonderful. I eat at all these restaurants at least once a week. I hear the community is excited about the growth here.I feel like they are excited to be able to come to Mars Hill now and have a good time. , you can shop, have coffee, etc. It’s great.
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Chandler said he hopes to continue contributing to Mars Hill’s ever-expanding entrepreneurial spirit for years to come.
“My real desire is to serve our community and have them come and see me if they don’t want to leave their homes like I do, or if they don’t want to go to Asheville where I live. It was about providing a place where you could shop…not enjoy it.Everyone is different, but I like being close to home,” Chandler said.
“Really, my heart was to serve this community. The heart of the base is the people who live here. We want to be great managers of the space. We want to be the starting point for the continued growth of Mars Hill.
Quill and Honey is located at 18 S. Main St. in downtown Mars Hill.