When Angie Whelan moved to Ellsworth 3 years ago, she had no idea just how much of an impact her business would have in a community on the cusp of redevelopment. After a conversation with the director of the Chamber of Commerce in 2018, she made it her personal goal to be the first business to take a chance on the depressed Broadway Street district in Ellsworth’s East End. In October 2019, Whelan’s professionally handcrafted natural Aromatherapy + Wellness brand, YB Urban?, opened its first brick-nmortar location at 243 Broadway St., during the Ellsworth Chamber’s POP-UP Ellsworth program. 4 months later, she & husband, Chris, purchased the building and began building YB Urban?’s presence in the community. This opportunity gave Whelan the chance to not only grow her already successful brand in the area, but also the opportunity to see a heartfelt sustainability vision come to fruition with the July 2020 opening of her shop’s new Bulk + Refill center.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, studies have shown an increase in the population’s awareness of how packaging waste affects our environment and are trending towards companies making efforts to reduce single-use plastic. It has been a mission of YB Urban? to make a meaningful impact in this regard. In November of 2019, YB Urban? was awarded the Red Letter Grant in Western Wisconsin to see their vision for a Bulk & Refill Center come to life. Since then it has been all about setting up a space where customers can return their containers and have them refilled, saving them money, reducing waste, giving them more reason to visit East End, and keeping their shopping dollars in the Ellsworth community.

How it works: all containers at YB Urban? are designed for multiple use. When a customer brings a container back to refill, YB Urban? will either refill the same container or swap the customer for a freshly cleaned, sanitized one depending on the product. The customer pays for the container once, and, with each refill of that container, they pay for the bulk product by the ounce. Customers can find everything from shampoo and lotion, to hand sanitizer and cleaning spray. YB Urban? is open Wednesday – Thursday, 11AM-7PM, and Friday-Saturday, 11AM-5PM. On October 17th, YB Urban? will team up with the ETown Collective to have a socially-safe 1 year anniversary outdoor celebration called the “Broadway Street Revival.”