Meet Loree Sandler | Founder and Managing Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Loree Sandler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Loree, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Edible chocolate candles were something I dreamed up and didn’t see in the marketplace. And because I’d taken a long hiatus from architecture to raise children, I couldn’t have easily stepped back into the profession. So the timing of starting a new chapter and the challenge of bringing an innovative product to life perfectly dovetailed. Starting a business also made sense because my husband was commuting full-time to Dallas (from Chicago), so I was the primary kid-taker. Having a flexible schedule was a priority.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Edible birthday candles seemed so obvious to me, but it turns out that something new and unexpected needs an explanation. People aren’t typically shopping for candles to light and eat, so everything from brand name to logo, packaging and displays have to be educational as well as eye-catching.

Every step of starting and growing a business is challenging. There are the obvious hurdles – doing things you’ve never done or don’t enjoy (sales!), unanticipated hurdles (shipping chocolate in the heat!), learning to live with things beyond your control (delivery! rising costs!). Part of the fun of entrepreneurship is growth (personal as well as commercial).

I started Let Them Eat Candles in my late forties, from scratch, and have sold more than 1.5 million candles! I’m incredibly proud to have elevated so many celebrations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First stop would be a Publix bakery to show off Let Them Eat Candles! Then I would follow the weekend itinerary set by my local bestie, Amy, when our high school gang visited for a reunion. We stayed in an Airbnb in the Old Fourth Ward, and walked, walked, walked – the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, Cabbagetown, the historic Oakland Cemetery, the BeltLine. We ate, ate, ate – Refuge Coffee, Revolution Doughnuts, Kroger Street Market, Muchacho. We opened our eyes, hearts, and minds visiting murals (including John Lewis and Stacy Abrams), the MLK historic site, Shotgun houses, Emory’s campus. There was so much more we didn’t get to. I can’t wait to be a tourist in Atlanta again!

I also highly recommend Delbar, Kimball House, and BoccaLupo.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My list of people to thank is still growing! My family (extra credit to my father and husband), Natalie and Dani at The Hatchery, Paul at Chef Rubber, John at Micelli Chocolate Mold Co, Paul, Dave, Tim, (and Scott) at Bissinger’s, Ryan, Joanne and Jules at The Grommet. Although many of these folks have moved on (or their businesses were sold), their generosity of time and expertise will forever be appreciated.

I’ve had growth spurts fueled especially by Faire, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and Publix – so applause to the women who brought Let Them Eat Candles aboard. I have incredible vendor-partners, and a can’t-be-beat co-manufacturer, but I hesitate to list them by name because they’re kind of like trade secrets.

The loudest Shoutout of all goes to Linda, My Brand’s Best Friend!

Website: LetThemEatCandles.com

Instagram: LetThemEatCandles

Linkedin: Loree-Sandler and/or LetThemEatCandles

Facebook: LetThemEatCandles

Image Credits
Rose Gorski, Bob Michelson, Tone Stockenstrom,