By: Deborah Johnson Wood
René Ludema says that her Eastown shop at 1436 Wealthy St. SE was a great place to launch her venture, New Design Floral. But the space, which has a windmill shaped storefront attached to the front of a two-story rental home she subleases to tenants, is just too large.
She’ll miss her small greenhouse and outdoor courtyard, but looks forward to sprucing up her new 370-square-foot shop at 973 Cherry St. SE, the former location of Yours Truly (see accompanying story in Development News.)
“I love the history of the Wealthy Street shop being Windmill Floral for 70 years before me,” Ludema says. “I grew up in this neighborhood and I love the district and the building, but I think we can have a really wonderful store in the East Hills district.”
Ludema, a member of the family that owns Ludema’s Floral and Garden, has a deep love for flowers and plants.
“We want to showcase our cut flowers,” she says. “We’ll have pre-made arrangements people can just grab and go, pre-made bouquets with pretty paper around them, and we’ll take orders for arrangements.”
The new shop will be airy, filled with shades of green and white to create an inviting atmosphere. Ludema plans to install flooring resistant to water spills and the leaf and stem debris from preparing the flowers. She’ll also add a cooler and a work counter.
The cozy space is nestled next to the Cherie Inn restaurant and opens into the dining area.
“We welcome diners from the restaurant,” Ludema says. “We’re excited to be in the neighborhood and excited to work with the other merchants that are there.”
Ludema hopes to open the first week of September.
Source: René Ludema, New Design Floral
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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