The 'It' Candle Lighting Up NYC Restaurant Bathrooms

Keap's Wood Cabin candle has become a modern classic for restaurant restrooms across the city.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Keap's Wood Cabin candle, with its notes of cedar, palo santo, and fireside embers, has become a ubiquitous presence in the bathrooms of many of New York City's hottest restaurants. Owners and managers are drawn to the candle's sophisticated yet cozy scent, as well as its sustainable and artisanal production values that align with their own hospitality philosophies.

Why it matters

The widespread adoption of the Wood Cabin candle in NYC restaurant bathrooms speaks to the power of a recognizable, high-quality product that can become a signature element of a dining establishment's ambiance and brand. As independent restaurants face increasing competition from corporate chains, curating a distinctive sensory experience has become an important way for them to cultivate a loyal customer base.

The details

The Wood Cabin candle, launched by Brooklyn-based brand Keap in 2015, has become a fixture in the bathrooms of many popular NYC restaurants like Smithereens, Cervo's, Eel Bar, Hart's, the Fly, June Wine Bar, and Rhodora. Owners are drawn to the candle's 'romantic, transportive quality' that complements the intimate, cloistered atmospheres of their establishments. Keap now supplies candles to nearly 10% of its business through hospitality clients, offering bulk pricing and reusable glass vessels to better partner with restaurants.

  • Keap launched the Wood Cabin candle in 2015.
  • The candle started appearing in NYC restaurant bathrooms in the mid-2010s.

The players

Keap

A candle company originally founded in Brooklyn and now based in Kingston, New York, that produces the popular Wood Cabin scent.

Nick Tamburo

Owner of Smithereens restaurant in New York City.

Moe Aljaff

Owner of Schmuck restaurant in New York City.

Harry Doull

Owner of Keap candle company.

June Wine Bar

A New York City restaurant that has been using Keap candles since it opened.

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What they’re saying

“I remember walking into their bathroom and thinking it smelled unusually good, which is not a thought you normally have in a restaurant bathroom.”

— Moe Aljaff, Owner, Schmuck restaurant (Email)

“Our work with restaurants started organically and that's still the case for the most part.”

— Harry Doull, Owner, Keap candle company (Email)

What’s next

Keap plans to continue expanding its partnerships with more New York City restaurants, offering bulk pricing and reusable glass vessels to make the Wood Cabin candle an even more ubiquitous presence in the city's dining establishments.

The takeaway

The widespread adoption of Keap's Wood Cabin candle in NYC restaurant bathrooms demonstrates how a high-quality, recognizable product can become a signature element of a dining establishment's ambiance and brand, helping independent restaurants cultivate a loyal customer base in the face of increasing competition from corporate chains.