Closing a storefront doesn’t mean failure, said Buck Wimberly; sometimes it means choosing sustainability, health, and a future that looks different than originally imagined, the ULAH co-founder noted.
ULAH’s storefront at 4707 Rainbow Blvd, Westwood; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
The Westwood boutique — known for its elevated style, in-store concerts, and buoyantly optimistic social media personality — announced on Tuesday plans to shutter the store at 4707 Rainbow Blvd on Jan. 31 after nine years and a post-COVID journey filled with highs and lows.
“This chapter feels bittersweet and emotional. ULAH was never just a store to us. It was our dream, our creative outlet, and a space for community,” said Wimberly, who owns and operates the business alongside his husband, Joey Mendez. “As entrepreneurs, this chapter is teaching us resilience, humility, and what it means to show up even when things are hard. We’re incredibly proud of what we built over nearly a decade, even as we acknowledge that it’s time for that chapter to close.”
The ULAH brand is expected to continue through its fragrance and candle collection — online and through other boutiques, said Mendez.
“Closing the storefront allows us to focus on that part of the business more sustainably, including ideas like new packaging, a new scent, and a discovery sample pack we’re hoping to release next spring,” he told Startland News. “Hopefully, after we get our footing, we can help make people laugh again on social media.”
“Social media is essential, but it doesn’t necessarily result in revenue,” Wimberly added. “It helped us build our brand voice, connect with customers beyond the store walls, and foster a sense of community that extended far beyond Kansas City. Even now, it’s been one of the most meaningful places where people have reached out with messages of love, support, and shared memories. That community is one of ULAH’s greatest legacies.”
The TV-ready couple were public with the store’s struggles in recent years, deploying all the ideas in their back pockets to keep the business — and its platform for Kansas City creatives — operating.
“All of the initiatives — like the candle campaign, GoFundMe fundraiser, ULAH KC Collective, or a new entertainment approach with social media — worked to some degree, which helped us stay open longer,” Wimberly said. “Unfortunately, they just didn’t make the large impact we needed to fully rebound.”
A lackluster holiday shopping season proved the final tipping point for the store, Mendez said, but challenges truly began during the pandemic when consumer trends dramatically shifted and twisted like a rollercoaster. (ULAH opened a second venture focused on women’s apparel in 2021 in response to growing demand, only to merge the space back into ULAH in 2024 when the appetite abruptly changed again.)
“Foot traffic never returned to a sustainable level after the post-COVID spending bubble ended in 2023, despite our best efforts,” he said. “Many of our longtime customers have shared that they simply hadn’t been shopping in-store the last couple of years.”
“We kept adapting, adding new ideas, and trying different strategies, but the cost — emotionally, physically, and financially — eventually outweighed what the storefront could realistically support,” Mendez continued. “This year’s holiday season made it clear that continuing as-is wasn’t viable long-term.”
Closing the store isn’t an easy decision, he said, noting the investments the couple poured into ULAH to keep it afloat.
“Like many small business owners, we did whatever we could. Buck drove Uber. We cut personal expenses, reduced our entire staff, and put nearly everything we had back into the business,” Mendez said. “Life was often stressful and exhausting, but we kept going because we believed in what we were building. It wasn’t glamorous — it was survival — and we know many other small business owners will recognize that reality.”
Buck Wimberly and Joey Mendez, ULAH, inside their Westwood storefront; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
The duo are now both actively seeking full-time work while continuing to build ULAH in its new form during nights and weekends.
Click here to explore ULAH’s candles and fragrances.
“This next phase of our lives has to be about stability, work-life balance, and taking care of ourselves while still nurturing what we love,” Wimberly said.
Both men expressed thanks to a community that rallied behind them — turning their dream into opportunity for nearly a decade.
“We’re deeply grateful to our customers, our former staff who felt like family, the local brands who trusted us with their work, and the Westwood community that welcomed us for nine years,” Mendez said. “We’re also thankful for the encouragement from fellow small business owners. We want to thank Jason Holmes for his early support in helping us get started, as well as close friends — including James Carter and David Luther — who were always willing to roll up their sleeves. And finally, we’re incredibly grateful to our families, especially over the last couple of years.”
“We hope our story helps normalize that truth and reminds people how important it is to support small businesses — not just when they’re closing, but while they’re still fighting to stay open,” Wimberly added. “Our experience bringing ULAH to life in our community is something that we will always be grateful for.”
