A popular local soap shop has changed hands, but the new owner should be a familiar face — and voice — for Pentictonites.
Soda Creek Soap Co. is now owned and operated by former 97.1 Sun FM morning show host Kyle Stewart and his wife Jessica Stewart.
After being laid-off from the radio station as part of Bell Media’s massive cuts to media position across Canada, Stewart said he was ecstatic when the opportunity at Soda Creek gave him a way to stay in the community.
Having moved from the Lower Mainland five years ago for his radio job, Stewart was looking for a way to stay in Penticton.
“We needed to find something different but my wife and I absolutely fell in love with Penticton, so did our daughter… we wanted to stay here in Penticton,” Stewart said.
A long-time Soda Creek customer himself, Stewart and his wife were in the shop one day when the former owner Greg Luff mentioned he was looking to retire and sell the business.
What started as a joke about about purchasing the shop between Stewart and his wife, quickly became a real possibility.
“Those jokes got more and more serious and we were like ‘wait, we could actually do this,'” Stewart said. “Eventually we sat down and decided we’re going into the soap business.”
As a big fan of Soda Creek soap himself, Stewart said he’s super excited to take over a company he’s so passionate about.
So far, Stewart has received nothing but love from the community. “We’ve had so many people come by to just say congratulations and that they love our product,” he said.
“We want to let everybody know that we’re going to continue to keep the same thing that’s been going on here at Soda Creek, we’re not going to change much.”
However, there may be some new soaps on the way in the future, but Stewart doesn’t want to reveal too much about those just yet.
Stewart’s first day at the shop was Friday, June 18 followed by two farmers markets that weekend.
You can catch Kyle and Jessica selling soaps and other natural handmade products Saturday at the Penticton Farmers’ Market and Sunday at the Peachland Farmers’ Market.
“We really have something for everybody,” he said, mentioning beard oils and conditioners are one of their most sought-after items.
If you can’t make it to the store’s physical location on Industrial Ave. in Penticton or to the weekend markets, orders can be placed online at sodacreeksoap.com.
READ MORE: Popular morning voice taken off the air in Penticton
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