Business Monday: A Hilo flower shop brings tropical flair to classic Valentine’s Day florals

A week to go before Valentine’s Day, floral designers Linh Waddell and Cari Rohrich spent Friday afternoon creating pre-ordered rose bouquets and decorating The Floral Shop and Cafe in Hilo.

Learning from last year’s hectic Valentine’s Day, always the busiest week of the year for flower shops, shop manager Waddell said she is more prepared this time. She has added an extra employee, purchased more flowers and has a plan to remain open past closing on Feb. 14 for those last-minute, procrastinating shoppers.

“Last year was awesome,” Waddell said. “We did better than we could have imagined, especially since it was our second year open. We’re hoping for another good year.”

The Floral Shop and Cafe, located at 138 Kinoole St., is full of extra decorations, stuffed animals and displays of tropical and mainland flowers in preparation for the love-filled holiday.

Red roses are the most sought-after flower when it comes to Valentine’s Day, so timing rose shipments correctly is imperative for success during the holiday, Waddell said.

“Planning shipments always comes down to what day Valentine’s Day falls on,” she said. “This year, we started gearing up with a shipment late this week and another shipment planned for next week. You don’t want to order too early, or too late.”

An arrangement of a dozen premium roses in the shop this year for the holiday is $124.99.

The shop recently added a cooler that is used to store flowers to keep them fresh and colorful, which has made planning much easier for employees.

This week, The Floral Shop and Cafe will be taking orders over the phone and in-person until supplies run out. Along with rose bouquets, the floral designers also have put together various Valentine gift baskets that include items such as mugs, vases, teddy bears, candy, note cards and small balloons. 

The shop also has several varieties of tropical flowers of all sizes and colors on display that would work perfectly within a Valentine’s Day bouquet. Tropicals grown in Hawaiʻi often have their own specific meanings and can be even more sentimental if gifted to a significant other, friend or family member.

Anthuriums are often said to symbolize welcoming hospitality due to their heart-shaped leaves, orchids are seen as symbols of beauty, love and thoughtfulness, pikake flowers are symbols of love and romance, and red ginger is seen as a symbol of enduring passion.

But she said some Hawaiʻi clientele lean toward mainland flowers because many tropicals easily grow in their front yards.

“I like to make sure we offer both tempered mainland flowers as well as local tropical flowers and I will often make bouquets that use both,” Waddell said. “There is no right or wrong way to design flowers, which is what makes it so fun.”

While the shop will not be offering specific deals for Valentine’s Day, there will be employees available every day this week to help customers create or find a bouquet that fits in their budget.

For those interested in getting a custom bouquet, Waddell suggests coming to the store in person because “we definitely have an easier time helping customers than over the phone. However, it can get crazy in here the closer we get to the holiday.”

But Waddell added: “It doesnʻt take much to show your sweetheart you love them, so even the most simple bouquet can go a long way.”

After Valentine’s Day passes, The Floral Shop and Cafe focus on providing florals for special occasions such as funerals, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and graduations. The shop offers bouquets of popular flowers from the mainland, however, they specialize in tropical arrangements with flowers locally grown on the Big Island. 

The Floral Shop and Cafe will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. this week with extended hours planned for Valentine’s Day on Friday. 

Bouquets and arrangements can be seen on Instagram and on their website. For questions or to place an order, call 808-464-3881.