Life’s a beach, but for the founder of Balzac’s Coffee Roaster Diana Olsen, the beach is a lifestyle. The entrepreneur recently launched a new lifestyle brand called Inner Beach Co. inspired by beach and surf culture with both online and brick-and-mortar offerings.
The brand launched online at the beginning of June, while the flagship store in Port Credit opened its doors to beachcombers June 15. Offering a wide range of beachy products in the realm of home goods, apparel, gifts and wellness products, the launch of Inner Beach couldn’t have come at a better time as Canadians yearn for a tropical vacation following a long winter season of snow, lockdowns and more lockdowns.
Olsen says she was inspired to create the brand while witnessing the cultural changes brought on by the pandemic.
“In my downtime over the past year and a half, I’ve poured my pent-up travel and beach trip energy into imagining something new,” Olsen says. “The pandemic has shifted the way we are living, how we travel, and what we value, and I saw the need for a brand that embodies this new ethos.”
Located on Elizabeth St. South in Port Credit, the flagship store was designed to create an immersive experience for shoppers and a laid-back, good-vibes-only community. With vibrant, colourful, and kitschy designs, the products on offer at Inner Beach can help you transform your home into a tropical haven just in time for a summer staycation.
“With the store in Port Credit, we offer a uniquely immersive brand experience that will transport our customers to that magical place and state of mind we all long for with a tropical holiday,” Olsen says.
To support the local environment and the beaches they’re repping, the brand will be partnering with Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a charity devoted to protecting all the Great Lakes, sponsoring the water testing of four beaches in the Port Credit area. Inner Beach and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper are set to collaborate on more initiatives in the future to help preserve Ontario’s lakes and keep the area’s beach culture alive and well.
For more information and to shop, visit the online store at www.innerbeach.com or in person at 6 Elizabeth St. South, Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with some extended evening hours.
