The Local Honey Collective co-founders Hailey Sarti and Cara McQueeny are a burst of delight in our downtown! They radiate joy, exude kindness, and leave people feeling loved.
Here are few quick facts about the brains and machines and personalities that are pouring into our lives by way of one of our town’s hottest boutiques!
Q: Hailey’s fave part of running the business?
H: Buying product, for sure!
C: Meeting tourists and telling them our favorite places to go.
Q: What’s different about running a business than you expected it to be?
H: The way owning a business has become my life. Once starting our business, it has become synonymous with me, with me everywhere I am.
C: Every task has five more tasks attached to it. I also hold a higher reverence for anyone who has started a business alone because the partnership with Hailey has been the best thing about the local honey for me.
Q: What do you want someone to know about you that they wouldn’t know off of the bat?
H: I drink 8 cups of coffee a day. Ha!
C: I try not to have any disliked foods.
Q: Ideally where are you if you are not in the store?
H: Mexico
C: Drinking wine.
Q: If you could have one theme party per year for the rest of your life what would it be?
H: A pasta party
C: White on white party
If you don’t already know, let me introduce you to The Local Honey. The cutest dang spot, which started online in fall 2019 and eventually transitioned into a brick-and-mortar shop through the holiday pop program that is so well facilitated by the Downtown Partnership each year.
Cara and Hailey dreamt of a space for women that would allow for a variety of body types, trend seekers, those who love to dress with staple pieces, and pretty much everyone in-between to be able to shop in one space. They wanted the store to feel approachable, attractive to a range of ages, and for all women to experience the deserved notion of feeling great in their clothing. And they’ve done just that! Their hearts have been to remove any feelings of intimidation as their shoppers walk in and sure enough, I think we all feel like their best friends before we depart.
With a general price range of $50-$100, there’s something for most. Hailey and Cara take pride in helping people learn how to style a piece from spring through winter. They explained that, “while the fabric is the foundation of any outfit we believe accessories, such as jewelry (simple, but stacking style) is a beautiful way to elevate any look to be more modern. Hats, jewelry, or sneakers are items that are great quality and can be expected to be timeless while they can be repeated with other pieces without feeling redundant.”
These women have a knack for incorporating trends into their racks that feel fun and flirty or mature, as we become more seasoned in our lifetime and they’re happy to teach you the same effortless tricks that they practice. They’ve even had people bring in a favorite item and ask for help adding versatility to it.
Hailey and Cara also go out of their way to allow events to be hosted in the shop after hours. Often featured on their IG, the tickets sell out quickly. “Hosting events goes back to our desire for people to feel encouraged to feel at home and to own a sense of belonging in our store. We want to champion the seasons and dreams women have for themselves. Whether that’s entrepreneurship, business-related, or life seasons such as bridal showers, birthday parties, or a girl's night out, we want this space to be woven into the stories of their lives as well as ours, deepening our community along the way.”
All around, E. Bijou St. is lucky to have The Local Honey in the mix of shops alongside Yobel Market, and not far from Icons. What a dream. If you haven’t, head that way before long. It's effortless to love.
Website: https://thelocalhoneyco.com/