By Chris Faulkner
for The Burlington Beacon
Walking into Buff City Soap, customers are taken aback by the variety of colorful and fragrant hand-made soaps on display. The Burlington store opened recently at the Burlington Commons shopping area, 3200 E. Agency St., Ste. 120, next to Pet Supplies Plus.
The selling point of the products is that they are plant-based.
“There’s no animal (fats). There are no harmful chemicals,” said Chris Meyers, the franchise owner for Iowa. “Our recipe is four different oils.”
There is a laundry list of products, including laundry soap, which Meyers said the store is known for. There are dryer balls, bath bombs, soap whips, shower fizzies, shave bars, and bath truffles, among other products.
“I just love that they host bath bomb-making parties. My young daughter would love something like that,” said Lauren Logan of Cedar Rapids.
The soaps come in more than 30 scents and can be customized, another selling point. Customers can watch the soap being made.
Among the scents are magnolia, lavender, and black raspberry, many with unique names such as All Hail the Queen, Commando, Narcissist, and Ferocious Beast.
Janet Stevens of Galesburg, Ill., stopped in Burlington while traveling to look at unique roadside attractions, including Snake Alley. After viewing the “World’s Crookedest Street,” she decided to take a side trip to Buff City Soap.
She was happy with what she found.
“This store is so wonderful. I love that the soaps are handmade,” she said.
Meyers said he picked Burlington for his ninth store because it is a regional hub for shopping.
“It pulls from a long distance. It’s a great community, a great town, and they support businesses,” Meyers said. “We’ve done great since we’ve been here.”
Meyers was making soap — 25 bars worth — during the morning interview. He would cut it that afternoon, and, in a few days, will be ready to sell.
As for the location, Meyers said there is plenty of vehicle and foot traffic. The store hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The company is busy during Christmas because of corporate packages. Meyers said a small business with 20-30 employees will order 40, 50 even 100 boxes to give as gifts to their employees. Large companies have been known to purchase 200-300 boxes.
Buff City Soap was founded in 2013 by Brad Kellum in Tennessee, and the business has grown across 31 states.
“I was sold on it when I went to look at one of his stores,” Meyers said of why he got involved with this company. “The quality of the product. There are no chemicals, and it’s hand-made, and that is what people like.”