By NICOLLETTE BRADY
The soaps, which make up the bulk of their inventory, are homemade (quite literally; production takes place in the basement of owners Beth and Chris Allen’s home) essential-oil scented, skin-gentle glycerin soap, and with every purchase comes a natural loofah which doubles as a soap saver. They also cater to the preferences of the cosmopolitan, offering imported trendy, top-of-the-line K-skincare products like cleansers or SPF, too.
Outside of their products, this above-and-beyond mentality is reflected in their having two varieties of water available free for their customers to cool off with; one regular jug, and one refreshingly flavored with mint sprigs.
But they are not content to only provide consumables and goods to Red Bank – they also want to be a community hub that fosters creativity and uplifts local talent.
This noble goal is achieved handily with the surplus of community events they host; soapmaking workshops, stand-up comedy nights, and, of course, Songwriting Circle – their monthly event wherein they spotlight local musicians and allow them to take to their Tiny Stage and showcase their original music to the intimate venue.
The story of Sensorium Emporium’s inception is a fascinating one that demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit and collaborative abilities of a close-knit family, and shows off their remarkable knack for turning lemons into lemonade.
Both the shop itself and Songwriter Circle are meticulously run by couple Beth and Chris Allen, but the business was actually the brainchild of their child at only 13 years old.
When I visited Sensorium Emporium for a recent Songwriter’s Circle this summer, Beth told me the remarkable story of how her son Femi Allen, who is now 24 years old and studying animation in Seoul, conceived the idea for the business in the wake of Hurricane Sandy back in 2013.
The Allens’ home was devastated by the October 2012 storm, and the rebuilding effort mandated a tightening of the family purse strings – including the discontinuation of Femi’s allowance.
The enterprising teen began thinking outside the box. He began creating and selling homemade soaps online, and started making significant progress in sales. His parents quickly realized both the depth of Femi’s professionalism and how quickly their son’s idea could evolve into a genuine family business.
Beth began helping improve their products and developing their business skills. Within the decade they made the decision to find their own brick-and-mortar shop and expand their enterprise.
It was important to Beth that their store could be a place that could be a real and substantive part of people’s routines – that they could go and stay a while, that they could be excited about what events the shop had on the calendar, that it could be a hub for community and for creatives.
With this idea in mind, the Allens began using their ample talents (hosting, A/V, coding) and made this dream a reality.
The Songwriting Circle cast rotates its performers with every show, always seeking to highlight local talent.
The echelon of talent on the night I attended was pretty astounding.
The show opened with CJ, the realtor who helped Beth find the location Sensorium Emporium would eventually set up in and who was instrumental in getting the Songwriting Circle up and running, serving as the night’s emcee and performing a lively set of his own under the stage name CJ 2.0.
Scott Ivory and Joe Kocher both performed lovely and honest acoustic sets that were perfectly suited to the convivial, stripped-down atmosphere of the night, and had everybody smiling and clapping along.
Ivory’s gorgeous raspy voice and Kocher’s infectiously catchy melodies proved real highlights of the night and ensured I went home unable to stop humming.
Deseree Sprinks, who recently won the Asbury Music Award and who gave me full body chills with her sound check alone, closed out the night and absolutely brought the house down with her sensational voice, witty lyrics, and astounding charisma on stage.
Passion for the community and its boundless creativity underscored every facet of the night, producing a lovely energized atmosphere.
It wasn’t hard to see why Sensorium Emporium has already become a fixture of the community in two short years – nowadays with shrinkflation and automation being the cost-effective norms for faceless large businesses, consumers have come to expect as little as possible; Sensorium Emporium stands in complete opposition to that idea.
They’re never content to be “just good enough,” they constantly aspire both to do more and to be more. Personally I can’t wait to see what their next move is going to be – whatever it is, I’ll be eagerly seated in the front row to check it out – I advise you all do the same!
The next Songwriter’s Circle is Thursday, September 3 at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 at the door, and the event is BYO.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
