Business Profile: Sol Shine Scentral, Putnam Lake
One day inside Home Depot, Kirsten Perez ran into a friend who owned a business along Haviland Drive, but was looking to give up the shop in the near future.
The owners of the property were looking to lease the building out to someone and Perez’s friend remembered how Perez had previously mentioned her desire to open a store one day. She suggested Perez she should take over the location once she leaves and after some contemplating, Perez came to the conclusion that now was the best time to start a new endeavor.
“I actually took over the business on a pinky promise,” Perez said.
She bought some of the friend’s merchandise and sold off some of it to another shop in town. As a result Sol Shine Scentral, a boutique, was born last April. And then this past December, Perez decided to expand the business into a coffee shop hoping to make it a fixture in Putnam Lake for years to come.
For 20 years, it’s been a dream of Perez’s to own her own business, something she can call her own. Over the past 20 years, Perez always had the desire to own a shop, but the logistics of life got in the way.
When she was just 19-years-old, Perez had a vision she would own this type of shop and even knew she wanted the name to be Sol Shine Scentral, tracing it back to the time she worked at an aromatherapy store.
Prior to opening the shop, she did reception and administrative work and was also a pre-school teacher for a few years. After she got married, her husband encouraged her to stay at home for a bit, but for someone as active as Perez, that didn’t last long.
“I’m a very enthusiastic person so I like to be around people,” she said.
Perez said her shop is one that caters to all five senses of the human body.
The way the shop is set up can be pleasing to the eyes, and there’s a delectable smell when a person walks in. The music is soothing to the ears and lotions and oils are enjoyable to put on the skin. And, of course, the coffee and food are for a person’s taste buds.
Perez also notes the experience at her coffee shop is more personal because she’s a “one man show” and when a customer comes in, she gets to know them well.
“I’m about positivity, optimism and shedding good feelings among people,” Perez said.
Perez admits the location of the shop is a tough one and hard for customers to find on occasion. It’s on the corner of a street and her sign for the café is partially blocked off by a pole.
But Perez is beginning to come up with ways to draw more people, like offering coffee, tea and hot chocolate for only 50 cents from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. everyday. Future activities and functions are also planned.
The location might be a tough draw, but someone as optimistic as Perez is ready to overcome any challenge.
“This location found me and I believe this is the location I meant to be in,” Perez said. “So I’m not going to give up on this location. I’d like to become a staple in the community.”
Sol Shine Scentral is located on 83 Haviland Drive in Patterson. They’re open seven days a week. Mon-Thurs 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri-Sat 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sun 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Their phone number is 845-363-1363
