Longtime Golden Valley Flower Shop Closing; Changing Industry Dynamics Blamed
In the heart of Golden Valley is a business that’s centered around making occasions special.
“We don’t really have customers,” said Frank Bohlander, owner of Best Wishes Floral. “It’s almost extended family.”
Bohlander and his husband, Mark Hall, have owned Best Wishes Floral for the last 17 years. While some artists use paint, Bohlander uses flowers as his medium of choice.
“It was always in my head that I would like to have my own shop so that I could do what I do,” Bohlander said.
For nearly two decades, he helped people in the northwest metro create the perfect arrangement — or find the perfect card — for moments big and small.
“We did we did everybody’s corsages and boutonnieres for prom through high school,” Bohlander said. “And then we did weddings for the same kids.”
Yet after a long career, Best Wishes Floral is closing for good come Oct. 31.
Mark Hall and Frank Bohlander have owned and operated Best Wishes Floral since 2006. The business is located at 689 Winnetka Ave N in Golden Valley.
“You get to a point in your life and you just know that it’s like, ‘I can’t do this for another five years,'” Bohlander said.
Seventeen years of no vacations, the rising cost of doing business, and changing customer dynamics can wear on a person.
“You can go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of flowers for less than what I can do,” Bohlander admitted.
Yet while there may be less expensive options out there, Bohlander says what’s missing is the quality of the product, and the customer service.
He has stacks of ‘Thank You’ cards to prove his point.
One card read: “Frank and Mark, the spread and bouquets you created for my mom’s funeral were beyond perfect. They looked exactly like who she was here on earth: happy, loving, beautiful and perfect.”
Interactions with clients are what Bohlander will miss most when this era of flower shop ownership wilts away.
“It’s just time for us to do this,” he said. “It’s going to be hard.”
Between now and Oct. 31, customers are invited to stop by to help clear out inventory and store fixtures. After that, people will still be able to contact Best Wishes Floral through their website, Facebook page and phone number. Bohlander and Hall will continue doing work for special occasions on a limited basis.
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