09/04/2026
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🏛️ Main Street Matters: STR Boutique & Branding - Sweet Tea Refill Business Spotlight
Some business partnerships take months to come together. For Jesse Cartwright and Amber Johnson, it took about 30 minutes.
The two originally knew each other through a local gymnastics studio, where Amber coached Jesse’s children in tumbling. At the time, they were acquaintances rather than close friends. Jesse started her own business in 2014, creating vinyl T-shirts, stickers and other handmade items. Amber began her business in 2013, offering vinyl designs, embroidery and sublimation.
When the original Sweet Tea was listed for sale in 2017, Amber saw that Jesse had expressed interest and reached out to her. By the end of that first phone call, they had decided to purchase the business together.
Nearly nine years later, Sweet Tea Refill has grown into much more than a downtown boutique. Behind the curtain is a full-service print shop offering screen printing, embroidery, sublimation and laser engraving. Jesse and Amber create everything from individual custom pieces to large orders for schools, teams, businesses and organizations.
The boutique also offers clothing, Tyler Candle Company products, monogrammed gifts and a full hometown collection featuring York and local school apparel.
As the business continues to evolve, they are transitioning toward the name STR Boutique & Branding. While Sweet Tea has been part of their story from the beginning, the name has caused a little confusion over the years.
“People actually think we sell tea,” Amber joked.
They feel the new name will give customers a better understanding of both the boutique and branding sides of their business.
Creativity brought both women into the industry, but serving others has become one of the most meaningful parts of their work.
Only a few months after opening, York County Detective Mike Doty was killed in the line of duty. Wanting to help, Jesse and Amber worked with the York County Sheriff’s Office to create a memorial shirt, with proceeds benefiting the Sheriff’s Foundation. When orders began pouring in, members of the dispatch team and people from across the community volunteered to help print, package and distribute the shirts.
“It showed us at that moment that our purpose here in this town wasn’t to sell clothes,” Amber said. “We have really stuck to that mentality.”
Since then, Jesse and Amber have continued to support local families, teams and organizations throughout York, often quietly and without seeking recognition.
“It feels really good to be able to make a living and help other people at the same time,” Jesse shared.
Being a downtown business has also given Jesse and Amber a front-row seat to York’s growth. Amber takes pride in seeing shirts, hats and bags they have created throughout town and knowing Sweet Tea Refill has become a familiar part of York. Jesse has enjoyed seeing more storefronts fill, foot traffic increase and more people discover Downtown York.
“I think the town is becoming a destination,” Jesse said. “Watching that has been really special.”
What began with a 30-minute phone call has grown into nearly nine years of creating together, building a business and forming a team that feels like family. As they prepare for their next chapter as STR Boutique & Branding, Jesse and Amber look forward to continuing to create, welcome customers and give back to the place that has supported them along the way.
