Located a short drive from the iconic Pacific Coast Highway stands a 150-year-old general store in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo. In its heyday, the Ah Louis Store was the center of the bustling Chinatown district serving the Chinese and Asian community as its general store, post office, bank, employment office, and gathering place. 

Today, the Ah Louis store continues to honor that tradition as both a general store that sells wine, gifts, baskets, and greeting cards and the home of Karson Butler Events. Co-owner and chief creative officer Emily Butler opened the Ah Louis Store along with twin sister Amber over eight years ago, decades after Amber first discovered the historic building as a student at nearby Cal Poly. The two share a love of gifting and entertaining—so blending this retail space with their event planning business “was meant to be,” according to Emily. 

Emily tries to curate the kind of vibe that makes people want to stick around and keep browsing. She loves playing whole albums from start to finish in the shop rather than a playlist, for example, and is always happy to chat with customers about whatever is going on in their day. “We are centered in taking care of others, brightening a day, and offering ‘surprise and delight’ moments,” Emily says. “Our products and offerings reflect that.” Today, we’re sharing a few of her bestsellers that keep tourists and locals alike coming back for more. 

The Ah Louis Store’s always-in-stock picks

Seedlings coasters

When Seedlings launched its line of coasters, Emily swooped up the whole collection on day one, and now the shop usually has two or three full cases on hand at all times. “These are a go-to in my shop, and I can’t keep them stocked fast enough,” Emily says. With their Seedlings Coaster Bar, customers can choose a set of four or set of eight and have them tied up with twine and a little bow. “At $3 a piece, the price can’t be beat, and they’re just really fun,” Emily says. 

Emily first discovered the Seedlings brand on Faire because of their greeting cards, which is no surprise considering that she always has a blank greeting card in her bag whenever she travels. “You never know when you’ll need one—maybe you received extraordinary service and you want to thank a hotel staff member, or maybe there’s a life moment that you want to drop a card in the mail for,” she says.  

Handker bandanas

Handker carries a selection of wholesale women’s accessories and apparel products, men’s accessories, and more—but they are especially well-known for their bandanas, which have been a go-to at the Ah Louis Store for years. Emily loves all the designs and versatility of their bandanas and was even wearing one during our interview!

“We use them for basket liners when we do gift baskets—they are such a fun way to add a pop of color,” says Emily. “And then you’ve got that reusable component, because you always want to have something that they can keep after the consumable goodies are gone.” Emily and the rest of the Ah Louis team also like to use Handker bandanas as gift wrap, tie them onto tote bags, and wrap them around candles. “I use them in a variety of ways,” adds Emily, “which shows customers the versatility of the product.”

8 Oak Lane Birthday Girl Champagne Flutes

8 Oak Lane carries a selection of wholesale kitchen and tabletop products, home accents, candles, candle holders, and other home decor items that are “inspired by all things current, clever, and creative.” Emily loves their Birthday Girl Champagne Flute because it’s perfect for making any birthday outing extra special and comes with a great price point. 

“It’s just an easy, quick, grab-and-go gift,” according to Emily. “We often get customers that are running in and out right before a birthday lunch at one of the great little restaurants downtown.”

“We’re known for our tag bar, so we can always wrap something like a bottle of wine with a cute happy birthday tag and send you on your way,” she adds. 

Compartés Chocolate Bars

Compartés Chocolate Bars are handmade and filled with surprising bursts of flavor from decadent ingredients such as textured chunks of donuts from the best donut shops in LA, fudgy homemade brownies, or luscious California berries. Oprah has even named Compartés chocolates one of her Favorite Things seven times, and they are the only chocolate to receive a perfect score from Bon Appetit. It’s no surprise that Emily and her customers love them. 

“The packaging? The unique flavor combos? The quality? I could go on and on,” Emily says. “I’ve been buying this brand before Faire existed, and now I love how Faire showcases the newest flavors when they are dropped, making it super easy to grab them!” The brand is always willing to take risks and experiment with exciting new flavor combinations, such as the Tomato Chocolate Bar that has been getting quite a bit of attention (and more than a few rave reviews).

Compartés bars “are front and center and a popular item all year round” at the Ah Louis Store. “There are so many different flavors and really cute packaging. I always recommend customers grabbing a couple.” 

Sun Jellies totes 

Sun Jellies was founded in 2012 as the Original Jelly Bag Company, offering a range of retro bags inspired by original designs from times gone by and made from 100% recyclable, sustainable, vegan material. They offer six iconic bag styles in a rainbow of colors, each with its own nostalgic charm, as well as the Itty Bitty Bag Charm that you can add to your keyring. Emily has been buying Sun Jellies totes for years, calling them “a gifting favorite.”  

“Sun Jellies is a brand that I have worked with for years, and I love their consistency,” she says. “They last forever, and they’re just high quality. You can spray them out [to clean], and you can put a bunch of stuff in them—they actually carry quite a bit.” 

“I use them often for wine totes with two bottles of wine or even sometimes a heavy candle or spaghetti,” Emily adds. “And there’s lots of different styles. I love all the different sizes and different options they have.”

Inspired by Emily’s always-in-stock products? Shop the Ah Louis Store’s picks on Faire.