She’s the mixologist of melt: Jess Priemer blends a cocktail of Kansas City into candle scents

With niche blends like 18th & Vine (whiskey, tobacco, and rose) and KC BBQ (hickory, oak, and BBQ sauce), Jess Priemer evokes memories and local landmarks with the lighting of each wick. Her candles are the best part of what makes Kansas City uniquely home, she said.

KCMOCO Candles feature signature gold candle lids that double as coasters, and are designed with the layout of Kansas City streets; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“I love this city, like everybody else around here, and there’s so much inspiration,” said Priemer, founder of KCMOCO Candles. “The candle City Market has a juicy, zesty scent, like you’re walking past the farmers market. 18th and Vine is late-night jazz club-inspired — whiskey, tobacco. That one’s my favorite.”

Her signature gold candle lids also double as coasters, designed with the layout of Kansas City streets.

Before launching KCMOCO Candles in 2021, Priemer worked as a bartender in downtown Kansas City, serving drinks to game-day crowds at Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums. 

That experience, mixing flavors to create the perfect drink, helped her develop a similar skill in candle-making.

“You’re balancing sweet, salty, spicy, and other contrasting flavors,” she explained. “It’s very similar to mixing cocktails, just with fragrance instead of liquor.”

Her attention to balance helps her create scents that feel both personal and familiar, bringing the city’s personality to life.

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Clean, natural ingredients

Premier’s thriving small-batch operation started out of curiosity, she said. A simple Google search about candle ingredients turned into a realization that she could make candles in a better, more authentic and transparent way than what she’d already found on the market.

“There was not a lot of info out there,” Priemer said. “People were either intentionally misleading or just not very forthcoming with the information. So instead of searching around for more answers, I decided, ‘Why don’t I try it for myself and see how stripped back I can make it?’”

An array of scents available from KCMOCO Candles; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Now, transparency is at the heart of KCMOCO Candles, she said. Priemer prioritizes natural ingredients, using soy, coconut, and beeswax, while avoiding petroleum-based paraffin found in many mass-produced candles.

“Your traditional candles are going to be made from petroleum jelly and paraffin wax, and those are both byproducts of oil refining,” she said. “Soy wax comes from soybeans, beeswax is made by bees, and coconut wax is harvested from coconuts. It just makes sense.”

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Customers appreciate the difference, Priemer said.

“People like that it’s transparent, that it’s clean,” she added. “People compliment my burns.”

Growing a small business

KCMOCO Candles has expanded through online sales, pop-up markets, and partnerships with local shops like Made in KC and Shop Local KC. Until recently, every retailer that carried her candles had approached her first about wholesale opportunities. Now, she’s ready to take the next step.

KCMOCO Candles founder Jess Priemer’s favorite candle scent: 18th & Vine; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“For the first time, I’m going to start reaching out to stockists myself,” Priemer said. “I’m looking to get our candles into even more shops.”

She also plans to launch smaller mini candles this year, a scaled-down version to make her products more accessible to everyone.

With new products coming and a growing presence in Kansas City’s small business scene, Priemer is eager for what’s ahead. She sold her candles at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s recent Small Business Celebration Candidate Showcase at Union Station, and will be popping up soon at a number of local events, including the April 12 Plaza Spring Shopping Stroll.

As she continues to scale her business, Priemer is driven by the same passion that sparked KCMOCO Candles from the start, she said: a desire to create something genuine and memorable.

“By connecting people with the city in this way, I’m hoping to inspire a deeper appreciation for my most beloved, Kansas City,” she said, “ and in doing so act as a contributing factor to its continued growth and success.”