Kolya’s Apothecary: It’s Many Faces

by Nicola

If our Apothecary walls could speak – I am so curious what they would say. In the past decade, our herbal sanctuary has journeyed through many different settings only now reaching its final destination: Kolya’s Apothecary – where Optimum Health Vitamins and Kolya Naturals Skincare meet.

memory-lane-1 The story actually began in 1994, when my husband John started Optimum Health Vitamins, occupying a humble 400 sq. ft. space in Debaji’s Fresh Market, inspiring and educating people about internal natural health, in the same building our Southside location is currently located.

In 2001, shortly after our first child was born, we temporarily relocated our Southside Optimum location to Lendrum Centre, as Debaji’s moved out, and a complete overhaul and remodeling of the building took place. During that time, in 2002, I founded Kolya Naturals on Whyte Ave. where we specialized in organic and biodynamic skincare – namely Dr. Hauschka & Weleda skincare lines.

It seemed counterproductive, however, to have two locations because we kept sending customers between locations to meet their needs. Our second child was on the way and we needed to condense our energies. We were pleased to come back to the original 109 St. location to amalgamate Optimum Health Vitamins & Kolya Naturals into the space we are currently in. (It is mildly amusing to see that our stock room & staff room now takes up the original 400 sq. ft. Yet it shows you that you don’t need a lot of room to start things off.)

memory-lane-1 The front of the store, where the apothecary is now, was initially rented out to local café owners, but they soon shut down. Typical of many entrepreneurs who can’t say no to opportunities, we decided to open our own little café, simply because we adored natural & nutritious food. Whole Earth Café was born, and my goodness the food there was delicious. We served organic meals and drinks, all made with extra special love and kindness.

Unfortunately, we quickly learned that running a café involves more than just a love of good food. It is a complex formula, where the smallest details add up to a ton of expense, and people just didn’t want to pay for “organic everything”. We quickly realized we were spreading our energies too thin, and decided to narrow our focus to what we do best – internal and external natural health.

memory-lane-1 This is when the apothecary was born, originally called Earth’s Aromatique. It was the perfect bridge between Kolya and Optimum. The ingredients we carried inside our apothecary walls could be found in Optimum’s herbal products and Kolya’s skincare, and we wanted to educate our long-time committed customers how to handcraft their own natural skincare and botanical remedies.

The idea sparked when I was taking a class with Lori Szott-Rogers, where we were making pure lip balms and creams. I had way more fun than expected, and realized we carried all the ingredients in our stores – but I did not fully realize the potential when the ingredients were properly put together– especially the promise of the essential oils. It was time to set up a space to teach our customers how to use them too.

So back to my first thought – if the walls in the apothecary could speak what would they say? I think they would speak about how overjoyed it finally is to get a facelift that reflects what it truly is. I think the walls would speak of our customers who are some of the most lovely, thoughtful, creative, and yes, at times quirky, bunch. It goes without speaking that they would rave about the delightful scents and aromas within the walls, as about the integrity of the herbs and botanical ingredients we provide. The walls would then comment, with a sigh full of gratitude, about the staff who takes care of its space. They are souls in search of reviving the old ways of medicine, who are committed, and genuinely interested in nature’s bounty found within our apothecary. These people wish to help each and every customer that walks through our doors.

I am happy to say that none of this is going away; the renovations are just enhancing and complimenting the wonders already found within (with a few new surprises… so stay tuned).

With anticipation (for I too am waiting to see what unfolds),

we look forward to seeing you soon,

Nicola

nicola b.

Having trained in herbal and cultural medicine, I found the sense of “home” in health food stores. I joined Optimum Health Vitamins in 1997, which later became our family-owned business. I loved working with natural medicines, but wanted to “get my hands dirty” in the herbs and clays and butters. I wanted to flood my senses with the plant world, and wanted to share everything I found with our customers and clients. This is why I founded Kolya Naturals.

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