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Five years and counting: Tonic Herb Shop to celebrate anniversary on Saturday

By Tabitha Johnston - Chronicle Staff | May 21, 2021

Certified herbalist Lakeja Baylor mans the counter at Tonic Herb Shop on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — This Saturday, Tonic Herb Shop will be opening its doors to celebrate its five-year anniversary from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The shop will be commemorating its anniversary by offering complementary herbal tea and store-wide discounts, such as: buy five, get one free on house-made products and 15 percent off all purchases. The first 25 customers will receive a free bag of adaptogen balls and a CBD Honey stick by Colorado Hemp Honey. The first 50 customers will receive a CBD Honey stick.

An Astro Herbalist will also be available from 1-4 p.m., offering mini astro-herbalism chart readings. She will be have three time slots available per hour, and will be taking both walk-ins and advanced registration.

Founded on May 18, 2016 in its current location at 140 East German Street, the shop is owned by clinically-trained herbalist Ashley Davis and Carmela Cesare, Therapeutic Herbalism M.S.

“I feel proud that we made it through five years,” Davis said. “That was my goal when Carmela and I first decided to create Tonic, and I am thrilled that we accomplished that goal. There were certainly times where we did not think that we would make it that far.”

Tonic Herb Shop will be celebrating its five-year anniversary on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston

According to Davis, reaching the five-year anniversary would not have been able to happen, without hard work and community involvement. The shop’s website received a noticeable uptick in sales last spring, when COVID-19 guidelines forced the store to close its doors, and has retained a higher number of sales since then. The shop’s financial success is also largely due to Cesare applying for the first and second PPP loans and the CARES Act grants.

“I attribute our success over the past year to the assistance we received from the state and the federal government, to our online store and to the fact that people are starting to care more about their health and well-being,” Davis said. “Some people are making preventative wellness more of a priority in their lives than it was a year or two ago.”

Tonic’s resilience extended to its staff, who the shop was able to retain through the pandemic. Only in a few ways, other than following social distancing protocols, has the shop had to change over the last year.

“The only thing that I was sad to let go of was our in-person classes and workshops that we used to hold in our classroom above the shop,” Davis said. “In addition to one-to-two hour workshops, I also teach a nine-month Foundational Herbology program. I had to move my school to a different venue, where we could spread out and practice social distancing. I am looking forward to being able to integrate the school with Tonic again, because the two businesses are mutually-supportive.”

According to Tonic Herb Shop employee and certified herbalist Lakeja Baylor, the celebration will be an opportunity for new and old customers alike to learn about the shop’s new and returning products and services.

Pedestrians walk along the sidewalk in front of Tonic Herb Shop on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

“Try some old favorites, try some new favorites, get to meet the staff!” Baylor said. “I think we have really great, quality products, great employees, great owners, great service and the energy’s great in here. I’ve heard people say that they feel better when they walk in the door — that’s awesome, that we can not only help people be better, but feel better.”

To learn more, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/530283594993212.