Happy Buddha

Stories of Downtown

Happy Budha. Owner, Steve Hannah & Billy Collingridge

When visiting the businesses of Downtown Belleville you get to take in the beautiful facade of the store front, discover unique local and international products and dine on delicious food. You may catch a glimpse of the owner as they wize by, the life of a small business owner is hectic- they may want to engage with the customer though they also must be the boss, the marketing expert, the cleaner, the server, the accountant and that could all be before noon! We wanted to give those business owners an opportunity to slow down for a moment and share their stories. Because behind each storefront are people who had a dream and put in a whole lot of work to make it come to life. These are some of the stories of Downtown Belleville. 

 

In 2015, Owners Billy and Steve along with their cat Sedo started their natural/holistic entrepreneurial business at 223 Front St. Starting with 85 dollars worth of natural soap and differing full-time jobs, they found their passion and now have a flourishing business that brings in new and returning customers every day. Happy Buddha (formerly Reiki on Wheels) offers many natural products such as soaps, essential oils and energy cleansing products as well as offering services such as Reiki, sound baths and guided meditations and much more. As metaphysical trends arise with adults and adolescents today they’ve seen their customer base widen, and have communicated with people from all walks of life; 12 years ago, Happy Buddha’s current location started as a pilot project and succeeded successfully. 

 

Steve graciously adds “If you’re having a bad day we will give you a hug if you need it”. The owners of Happy Buddha have expressed their gratitude for the sense of community and added sense of companionship from the surrounding diversity of customers and store owners alike. Friends of Billy’s had suggested the expansion of Happy Buddha from a small start-up to its current hot spot. “In an area where natural products are harder to sell, we were the first to bring natural products and practices and now there are so many more businesses. It’s great that it’s spreading awareness about its practices”. Steve then added “Happy Buddha thrives on the heartbeat of downtown Belleville, where every smile, every connection and every shared moment builds our passion for this vibrant community”.

 

It was wonderful getting the chance to speak with Steve and Billy and learn more about one of the beautiful shops in Downtown Belleville. Before we left we had to ask one last tough question, what is their favourite cafe/restaurant downtown? Steve answered on behalf of Billy and himself “Bayleaf has to be a big favourite”. Keep following along for our next Stories of Downtown!

 

Click here to visit Happy Buddha’s Facebook

For behind the scenes fun head to the Downtown Belleville Instagram and Facebook!

Stay tuned for more Stories of Downtown coming your way in 2024

 

Funded by Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board