SMALL BUSINESS
Candle Cafe in Albuquerque serves up scents that look good enough to eat
The business features hand-poured candles that look like realistic, ready-to-devour beverages and snacks
Published
Not many candle shops sell products that you鈥檙e tempted to smell, sip and taste 鈥� but Albuquerque鈥檚 Candle Cafe does.
Candle Cafe is a locally owned boutique inside Cottonwood Mall. The business sells hand-poured candles that look like realistic, ready-to-devour beverages and desserts.
If you didn鈥檛 know you were in a candle store, you might mistake the space for a drink and snack bar because the candles are shaped like everything from an espresso martini to a cupcake, bowl of cereal and milkshake.
But the beverage that inspired it all was a cup of joe.
鈥淚t kind of just started from me doing it as a hobby,鈥� said Albuquerque entrepreneur Carrissa Donche, who makes the candles and owns the business with her boyfriend, Michael Torres. 鈥淥ne day, I wanted to make a latte 鈥� something that looked like coffee because we love coffee.鈥�
One thing led to another and Donche started experimenting and branching out to desserts, cocktails, milkshakes and other sweets.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved the creativity aspect of it and how many different things you can really create,鈥� Donche said.
Donche and Torres are also the owners of Howling Blue, a craft service company that provides food and snacks for cast and crew in New Mexico鈥檚 film industry. Over the past six years, the company has supported dozens of productions, including 鈥淏etter Call Saul,鈥� 鈥淎rmy of the Dead,鈥� 鈥淛oseph of Egypt鈥� and the hit Apple TV series 鈥淧luribus,鈥� created by 鈥淏reaking Bad鈥� mastermind Vince Gilligan.
But even as filmmakers like Gilligan are bringing new productions to the state, New Mexico鈥檚 film industry has seen better days, Torres said.
The industry had a busy couple of years post-COVID, but local film activity has tightened following domestic writers鈥� strikes and increased international competition. New Mexico has seen fewer projects filming in the state, and production dollars are tapering off as a result.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely not the same, and it鈥檚 hard to bank on it at this point, with the way it鈥檚 going and the amount of shows coming in,鈥� Torres said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to make film a priority with the current instability. You鈥檙e better off banking on yourself and your own capabilities.鈥�
That鈥檚 exactly what the couple chose to do. They first explored making a business out of Donche鈥檚 candles through pop-ups and craft fairs in 2024 and early last year. They wasted no time jumping on the chance to open their own retail space at Cottonwood Mall when it became available in mid-2025.
Candle Cafe occupies a roughly 1,700-square-foot space in the mall, sitting near Shoe Dept. Encore and currently operating on a year-long lease agreement. Donche said they plan to stay and grow in the mall for as long as possible.
鈥淚t feels really good here,鈥� Donche said.
The community鈥檚 response to the business has been positive, Donche said, adding that Christmas was a shockingly busy time for the candle store. What amazes most customers is that the candles don鈥檛 just look the part 鈥� they also smell like the sweet treat they are representing.
Nostalgia is a major driver for the business, which is why the Froot Loops and biscochito milkshake candles sell well, Donche said. Other consistently popular options are the sugar skull, margarita and maple waffle latte candles.
All of the shop鈥檚 candles, priced between $10 and $35, are 鈥渃lean-burning,鈥� Donche said. They use only natural ingredients, including a coconut soy base, gel wax and safe fragrance oils and dyes. Donche crafts the store鈥檚 candles herself, making the business .
Each candle starts with inspiration from a real-life dessert and a fragrance test to see if the dessert鈥檚 scent is reproducible. Donche then pours the candle one layer at a time. Depending on how many layers and different textures are at play, a batch of eight to 10 candles can take between four and eight hours to make.
鈥淎ttention to detail is super important in order to create these candles because they are so intricate,鈥� Donche said.
Expanding the business鈥� product line is a priority for Donche, who aims to offer something different for people to see and smell every time they visit the store.
鈥淚 want them to come in and feel like it鈥檚 exciting and that there鈥檚 something new, fun and exciting, while also maybe experiencing a memory or something that鈥檚 nostalgic for them,鈥� she said.
As far as the pair鈥檚 future in film goes, Torres said they are still involved in the industry and hoping to work on the next season of 鈥淧luribus鈥� 鈥� but they鈥檙e also embracing the solid footing and creativity they鈥檝e found in their new food- and candle-oriented venture.
鈥淏eing reliant on the union and the current incentives, it brings a lot of question marks,鈥� Torres said. 鈥淲e hope it picks up, though, and we can find that balance.鈥�
Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.
