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Its inviting storefront and decor will pull you in. But it’s roote’s shopping experience — and its products crafted on-site — that will keep you coming back to the new Center Moriches shop.
Formerly called Birch & Main — and previously located in Port Jefferson and Wading River — roote (intentionally spelled with a lowercase ‘r’) is a handcrafted, small batch manufacturer with products sold in over 200 independent retailers across the United States and Canada. The new store, which replaced vacant office space and is located at 378 Main St., delivers a community presence that was sorely missed by owner Michael McPolin of Yaphank.
“This area is beautifully nestled on the Moriches Bay,” McPolin, 31, said, before adding, “We get to bring jobs to the community, and for us, it means growth and helps to further establish our brand’s ‘roots.'”
McPolin noted that roote’s mission is to provide daily essentials using clean, natural and safe ingredients. Its entire collection of candles, home fragrances, mists, lotions, soap, clay masks and other wellness products are vegan and cruelty free. They are also all made in the studio behind McPolin’s Center Moriches store.
Over the last year, roote’s main focus has been on the aforementioned wholesale division — with retailers locally that include Whole Foods. In 2016, McPolin made his initial leap into brick and mortar with a Birch & Main shop inside the Shoppes at East Wind in Wading River. In 2018, he opened a shop in Port Jefferson.
“While our name has changed, we still are a handcrafted, small batch manufacturer. That will never change,” he said. “We are using top-grade ingredients with a core mission for utilizing plant-based or safe synthetics.
“We are also conscious of our pricing and try to keep our price points accessible to most,” he added.
Roote is open Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Sunday, noon-4 p.m. The shop also offers private appointments for clients who can’t make it the shop during normal operating hours.
