During the peak of the pandemic, San Diego native Megan Wood took up candle-making. She wanted to create a natural, long-burning candle — and she got pretty darn good at her hobby.

The flame was lit. The City Heights resident sparked her own business — Corridor Candle Co. — crafting small-batch scents inspired by her favorite local places like Sunset Cliffs (sea salt, jasmine, lily of the valley, tonka), Torrey Pines (lemon, red currant, juniper, geranium), and Anza-Borrego (fresh flowers, coconut, lemon, sandalwood).

The products are available in our online shop, Six & Main. We chatted with Meg about her biz.

City Heights resident Megan Wood took a creative spark and ran with it. | Photo via Corridor Candle Co. + Chelsea Loren

Q: How did you choose your scents?
A: I wanted to create candles that just brought back memories for people because I have my favorite places in San Diego. At first I thought everything needed to smell like the beach, but now I think more about how these places make me feel and base my scents off that.

Q: Who is buying your candles?
A: I get a mix of locals and visitors. San Diego is such a special place because it really has it all. People come here to make memories.

Q: Walk us through your candle-making process.
A: I make every candle by hand in my studio with 100% soy wax so they burn cleanly and slowly. I blend my fragrance oils — it’s all about pouring at the right temperature, with the right ingredients. It’s a two-week curing process for each candle. I box them, label them, and take them to local stores.

Sunset Cliffs combines sea salt, jasmine, lily of the valley, and tonka. | Photo via Corridor Candle Co. + Chelsea Loren

Q: What’s next for your business?
A: I’ll be releasing five new scents on my website next month — Coronado, Windansea, La Jolla Shores, Solana Beach, and Moonlight Beach.”

Q: Which local stores sell your products?
A: I’ve been selling at Sea Hive Station at Liberty Station for about a year-and-a-half. They’re just the best — super supportive of small businesses. I’m also at their La Jolla and Mission Valley stores. I’m also at Small Batch in La Mesa and Thread + Seed in Bankers Hill and South Park.

Meg is offering a coupon code for SDtoday readers via Six & Main. Use SDTODAY at checkout for 15% off your order through this Sunday, Aug. 27.