For those of us called to celebrate life in boats and at the shore, the Bow Candy brand captures and delivers distinctive beach apparel that shows who we are and what makes us happy. Bow Candy is an eye feast of color and style, displaying our undeniable identity with shore life and our passion for superior quality in what we wear.

So, what is “Bow Candy”? Picture someone born of and for the water dressed in stunning, stylish, colorful beach apparel soaking up rays on the bow of a classic cruising boat…. It’s an image that shouts out to all—here is one who is stunningly attractive and must be seen and enjoyed by others because of their natural harmony with the alluring beach elements. As a fine candy is so pleasant to the tongue, so is this perfect picture of happy beach life to the eye.

The impact of Bow Candy clothing items, though, is that they shout out a singular message regardless of where they are worn! Whether in a city, at work, traveling or at home, there is no doubt about where the wearer finds his or her true joy of nature and communion with others of like mind: the beach scene! Bow Candy is a bold statement of living life large and seeking happiness through merging beautiful apparel with the freedom and indulgence of beach life. It is who you are, to the core, and everyone gets the message!

 

Pete Donat is truly a born and bred waterman. Son of a career Navy family, his beach experiences began in Monterey, CA and extended to the western Pacific Islands, the Gulf of Mexico coastline, the seafaring maritime environment of Northeast US and open ocean beaches of the Mid-Atlantic states. Of course, the island magic of the Caribbean has captured his fascination and enjoyment for decades!

His earliest work history was begun in a Maryland orchard as a young teenager and, later, providing yard maintenance services. College sparked his professional and technical skills in business and personnel management, during which he began his thirty-year career in running successful restaurants.

Pete earned his stripes at all levels of senior restaurant operations, but he did not take long to link permanently his vocation with the marine environment, and in 1994 he anchored his fortune and future amid the vibrant beach scenes of Wilmington, NC. He has enjoyed a succession of rewarding restaurant management positions, ultimately owning and managing a prominent seaside village restaurant for the last twelve years. Additionally, though, Pete’s personal investment extends beyond his charming dining facilities—he invests significant time in his community promoting business growth and enhancement of the area beach scene that would be attractive to visitors.

The same excitement and energy that forever ties Pete to shore life, both professionally and personally, has brought him to this point where he yearns to capture images, colors and casual styles of shore life in unique clothing apparel. Thus, Bow Candy was born and receives the benefit of his love for the sea and his business development skills in order to share these treasures with others.

 

T.J. Drechsel's life journey to the beach began in the mountains of northern Idaho and beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene, after which he grew up in the Midwest, calling Columbia, MO home for much of his childhood. It was during his high school years that he ventured down to the Ozarks in central Missouri and discovered his first calling to spend time on the water. Fast forward through college in Michigan and a corporate stint in Green Bay, WI to visiting his cousin Pete in beautiful Wilmington, NC where he cemented the notion that life really begins on the continent’s watery edge. It took him 5 years to orchestrate the move but he finally made the port city of Wilmington his home, and it has been so for over 15 years now.

Cruising through undergrad with a Marketing degree and landing a corporate job, his funding was in place to pursue his desire to travel and further the calling of life on the water. From the southern coast of Mexico to the beautiful Caribbean he discovered a love for photography. Capturing the stunning view of an epic coastal sunset or sunrise fueled his passion to become a professional photographer. Drechsel Photography is now an accomplished local photography service in Wilmington where T.J.’s work is displayed in many local businesses showcasing the stunning beauty of the area’s coastal scenes. Whether photographing idyllic weddings in a beach setting or helping with local business marketing, he brings the same critical camera’s eye to Bow Candy's unique and remarkable marketing presentation.

On any weekend along the coast you'll find him out boating with Pete soaking in the life that Bow Candy celebrates. In fact, the company idea originated on one such iconic day that tourists the country over travel here to experience and is now the foundation for the brand. Celebrating life on the water and appreciating who that life is shared with is the essence of Bow Candy.