Looking for a last-minute Father’s Day gift or something unique to bring to your next summer gathering? A Glen Cove shop has plenty of options, and a story that’s just as memorable as its products.
What began as a pandemic hobby for local couple Adam Siegel and his husband Ian has grown into a thriving business with customers around the world. Today, The Shoppe by Trubee Hill, located in Glen Cove’s Village Square, is filled with candles, room diffusers, snacks and gifts. But candles are where it all started.
“All self-taught,” Adam said. “YouTube videos, a lot of mistakes. You do not want to see our earlier candles. Trial and error, and we perfected it.”
The couple began making candles at home during the pandemic to stay busy. They later started selling them at the Deep Roots Farmers Market in Glen Cove before opening their own storefront four years ago. Visitors can now stop by the shop’s popular “sniffing table” to sample all 36 candle scents.
“Our candles are about 65 percent of our business,” Adam said. Every candle is still made by Adam himself. Before the store opens, he’s in the candle-making studio pouring wax and labeling jars — a process customers can watch through a large window visible from the sales floor.
“You can go to any big box store and buy a candle, but what makes us different is that you can actually see the candle-making studio here in our shop,” Adam said.
The candles have been shipped as far as Australia and London, but Adam says the support from the local community means the most. “The Glen Cove community is phenomenal,” he said. “Even though it’s a city, it’s a tight-knit community.”
The image of the couple’s home still appears on every candle label, a reminder of where the business began and how far it’s come.
