From The Boston Guardian

Business was booming for the South End in 2023, as more than a dozen small businesses set up shop in the neighborhood. That trend looks like it will continue into 2024.

According to Randi Lathrop, who sits on the board of the South End Business Alliance, 16 businesses opened in the South End last year. They include five cafes and restaurants, two retail shops, two wine stores, and two personal trainers. A physical therapist, design company, skin care facility, and herbal medicine shop rounded out the list.

Four new businesses have opened their doors. They are Bluemoon Smoke Shop, Tepeyac Cocina Mexicana, ST33LE, a men’s clothing store, and Simmetria MedSpa, a spa focused on medical aesthetics.

Lathrop also added that nine more businesses already have plans to open in the next few months, including four restaurants, two retailers, a bookstore and a convenience store.

Some of these businesses are the first of their kind in Boston. Sky Candle Co., at 53 Dartmouth Street, that sells candles, all of which are vegan, non-toxic, and made on-site, along with diffusers and room sprays. Unique to Sky Candle is its candle bar, said Greg Dekermenjian, the shop’s owner. The candle bar has been the “highlight” of the store, he added.\

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Editor’s note: Robert Whitcomb, New England Diary’s editor, is chairman of The Boston Guardian.