Seven years ago, Chrissy Lee-Manes and John Lee drove across the U.S. scouting locations for their mom-and-pop health business.
“From Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, we looked at multiple states,” Lee said.
In Colorado, Glenwood Springs caught their eye and in December of 2013 the two opened Providence Apothecary at 713 Cooper Ave.
After six successful years, the married couple knew it was time for a change and recently reopened as Homsted in the same location.
“It’s a little old and a little new,” Lee said.
Following extensive renovations, Homsted operates out of twice the space Providence Apothecary did.
Despite the name change, many of the herbal teas and tincture blends Providence Apothecary was known for still live on Homsted’s shelves.
“We do all the tincture blending and essential oil blending. We make all of the herbal teas. We make a lot of the skincare products,” Lee said. “A lot of that stuff is being made in-house, under this roof.”
A certified herbalist, Lee-Manes earned her holistic healthcare practitioner certificate in Denver and Lee holds a doctoral degree from the University of Kansas in geochemistry.
“We bring a unique set of perspectives to our formulating,” Lee said.
When Lee-Manes and Lee don’t make a product in-house, they still want to connect their customers with the product’s producer via ‘Meet the Maker’ cards, which Homsted prominently features throughout the store.
“We want people to understand where their products are coming from and the quality and intentions they are being built with,” Lee said.
While Providence Apothecary promoted health, Homsted expands upon that vision by advocating a healthy lifestyle based upon self-sufficiency and quality over quantity Lee explained.
More than teas and tinctures, Homsted incorporates gardening, clothing, animal keeping, fermentation, kitchen goods and more into its expanded space.
Lee was particularly excited about Homsted’s products like its fermentation kits that allow customers to create their own goods.
“We’ve got all the supplies you would need here, from canning supplies to kombucha making kits and kefir kits,” Lee said.
The herbalist and geochemist also made a point to promote education at Homsted by offering a variety of classes in the store from cheese making to beekeeping.
According to Lee, had it not been for the local clientele Providence Apothecary would have never bloomed into Homsted.
“By every definition, this is a mom and pop business,” Lee said. “We are looking forward to being here for a long time.”
