Johnny Foster, the creator of Johnny Wicks, thrives on puns. His company motto is, “Get lit! It just makes scents.” He uses standard kitchen equipment to pour wax and make candles in his Monterey shop, seen above.

Johnny Foster, the creator of Johnny Wicks, thrives on puns. His company motto is, “Get lit! It just makes scents.” He uses standard kitchen equipment to pour wax and make candles in his Monterey shop, seen above.

Johnny Foster is not a candle guy. He found his way to the business of candles via apparel – before candles, he had a clothing line. He searched online for DIY projects and decided to give them a try.

The actual candle-making part came easily: He still uses kitchen tools – like a jigger to measure aromatic oils, a pancake batter dispenser to distribute wax (“it helps with spilling”). But at first, starting in 2019, he was incorporating essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus for scent. He discovered he needed a lot of oil to get an aroma, and that his candles were like everyone else’s. So he started ordering all sorts of quirky aromatic oils wholesale, with smells like Fruit Loops (which smells exactly like the cereal), bacon, hickory BBQ, birthday cake (he changed the name to “cake eater” – and sprinkles actual culinary sprinkles on top). Some are blends he’s made himself, like “cuddle weather,” combining two to three different wholesale scents.

A big part of the business is making and selling candles, but it’s also meant as an immersive art experience; customers can pay for a candle-making party, buy supplies and learn how to make a customized candle with container, size, shimmer of their choice – and there is a whole wall of scented oils to choose from. The entire experience takes about two hours because of drying time, so Foster invites people to sit back and bring snacks and play a game or watch a movie (Star Wars is playing on a recent afternoon).

Before getting into clothing and then candles, Foster was a bartender, which he says was a chance to put his psychology degree from Monterey Peninsula College to use. Foster, who now lives in Marina, was born in Salinas and raised largely in Southern California before moving back home.

These days, his Monterey-based candle business is thriving. It’s now his full-time gig and on a recent day, he’s replenishing his stock after selling out at Cali Roots, making coffee-scented candles with actual coffee grounds, essentially brewing a cup of coffee inside the molten wax.

Weekly: A lot of these scents are just wild. Are they meant as a joke?

Foster: They say memories are jogged by scent. The “Saturday Morning Cartoon” scent – Fruit Loops – reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons. I ask, what was your cartoon you’d wake up to and watch? A lot of these younger generations don’t have that, and they are missing out. I loved Ninja Turtles.

What’s your favorite scent?

“Dark soul” is my favorite. I won’t tell what’s in that one – it’s just masculine. A lot of people say, “It smells like a man.” Some lady said I should change the name to, “Ohhh, a man.”

What do you burn at home?

I just burn dark soul incense at home.

Do you feel like you have a dark soul?

Everyone has a dark soul, a dark side. Look, we’re watching Star Wars right now. [Gestures at the TV.]

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What’s most popular among customers?

Dark soul is the number one. Gray sweatpants and cuddle weather go back and forth. Saturday Morning Cartoons and the Big Sur Redwoods are popular.

Has there ever been a total flop?

Only one candle that has been made here smelled horrible. A guy mixed beer smell and love spell, from Victoria’s Secret. I tried to stop him – with beer, if you mix it with anything fruity, it’s not going to go together. His girlfriend said it smelled like portapotty.

You also play semi-pro football, for the California Buckeyes based in San Jose. Have you ever thought of trying to go pro?

I’m too old to go pro – I’m 36. I just do it because I love the game.

This is your second business after starting a clothing line. What advice do you have for someone thinking about starting their own business?

If you’re gonna do it, don’t half-ass it – just go for it. It’s going to get rough at some parts.

How do you stay motivated to keep going through the rough parts?

Just thinking of bills. It’s expensive to live here.

What do you do to relax?

There is no relax. It’s always go mode.

Sara Rubin loves long public meetings, red pens and reading (on newsprint). She has been editor of the Monterey County Weekly since 2016, and has been on staff since 2010.

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