The Radish Hotel: A Story of Clean, Conscious Products & Community
There’s something special about supporting a small business when you know the story behind what they create.
For Crystal and Carlos León, founders of The Radish Hotel, their business grew from a desire to create clean, nourishing products for their family and community. What began as an urban farm has blossomed into a brand offering pantry goods and body care products made with intention and thoughtful ingredients.
From creating products inspired by their family’s own health journeys to growing into the wholesale market and building a business that supports their family, The Radish Hotel’s story is rooted in conscious choices, community, and getting back to the basics.
We sat down with Crystal to learn more about the story behind The Radish Hotel, what inspires their products, the challenges and milestones of building a small business, and what’s next for the brand.
Can you tell us the story behind The Radish Hotel? How did the name come about, and what inspired you to start the brand?
The Radish Hotel is, in many ways, about getting back to our roots. It started as an urban farm and has continued to grow and blossom into something that takes care of both our family and community.
It is owned and managed by me (Crystal León) and my husband, Carlos León. The inspiration behind the brand was us wanting to be able to offer clean and nourishing products to our family & community.
How would you describe your brand's style and what makes your products stand out from others in the space?
I describe our brand's style as clean and conscious. We are very mindful and intentional about what goes into our products, both in our pantry line of goods and our body care line. My background is in nutrition and nutrition education, so when I created on the pantry side, this aspect of it is often still at the forefront of my mind.
The ingredients we choose are a big part of what helps us to stand out from others in the space.
What inspires the products you create or curate? Are there particular materials, colors, or themes you find yourself returning to?
Necessity and our own personal health journeys are often what inspire us to create. We make our own soaps and deodorant because both my husband and our youngest child have great sensitivities to most commercial products. We were always looking for products that didn't use harsh chemicals or fragrance oils. When our family started to react to even the "all-natural" products we were buying, it sent us into the world of soap-making.
On the pantry side of it, I began making jams and granola because I was frustrated with the sugar-heavy offerings that made up the majority of the food aisle. This became even more true for me after we had kids.
As far as materials go, we are beekeepers and rely heavily on beeswax to create our body care products. We lean towards the natural, never using any artificial colors, and we incorporate herbs, minerals, and spices both in our pantry and body care goods.
Some of The Radish Hotel's Products! From left to right: all-natural lip balm, hand soap and lotion, elderberry syrup.
As a small business owner, what's been one of your biggest challenges and one of your proudest moments since launching The Radish Hotel?
As a small business owner, one of the biggest challenges we face is the ever-rising costs of raw goods, and costs of the packaging that we need in order to create our products.
One of the proudest moments for me is successfully moving our business into the wholesale market, and the moment I realized that The Radish Hotel was doing so well that I would have to quit my "real job". A few years later, we'd grown so much, that I had to ask Carlos to quit his job too! Definitely the biggest business hi-five yet. We'd created this small thing that the community could see the heart and integrity behind, and it was now fully taking care of our family.
Many people are becoming more intentional about what they buy. How do you encourage customers to shop more thoughtfully or choose products that they'll truly love and use?
I encourage customers to shop more thoughtfully by sharing our story and why we make what we make. I tell them what our products do, and perhaps more importantly - don't do- to their bodies and our environment. I tell them that these products are the way I love and take care of my own family, and that they were created for us first.
What's next for The Radish Hotel? Are there any upcoming product launches, collaborations, markets, or exciting plans you'd like to share?
Fall & Winter are right around the corner, which means holiday markets for us (Made In Nevada Market with the Flag Store and the Holiday Bazaar with Riverside Farmer's Market). We've got many collaborations in the works. On October 3rd, we're doing a balms and salves workshop with Urban Roots to show people how to use their herbs in topical medicines. Lastly, we are currently working on a dish soap that we hope to release next year, so stay tuned!
The Radish Hotel is more than a small business: it’s a family-built brand shaped by personal experiences, thoughtful choices, and a desire to create products that serve both family and community.
As we become more intentional about what we buy and who we support, discovering businesses like The Radish Hotel gives us an opportunity to put those values into practice.
Want to support The Radish Hotel? Check out their products, follow along with their upcoming markets and workshops, and discover what they’re creating next.
Supporting small businesses means supporting the people, families, and communities behind them. Shop thoughtfully, support local makers, and get to know the stories behind the businesses in your community.
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