Ground Floor: C.R. flower shop owner comes from family of entrepeneurs

Charley Ohnemus was destined to own her own small business.

The youngest of 12 children, Ohnemus hails from a family of entrepreneurs.

Her parents owned businesses. Nine of her siblings are or have been small business owners.

'My dad ran businesses forever,” Ohnemus said. 'He encouraged us kids to get into business for ourselves.”

When her husband's job took Ohnemus from DeWitt, where she taught art for three years, to the Iowa City area, she decided it was time to follow in her family's footsteps and buy her own business. The question was what kind of business.

'I looked at buying a gas station or a liquor store - things Dad thought I should look at,” Ohnemus said, noting that one of her brothers recently bought a gas station. 'But I knew I would go crazy because I'm an artsy person.”

A sister who owns a flower shop in DeWitt inspired Ohnemus to look into the flower business. She discovered that Down To Earth Florist, a fixture in the Iowa City area since 1979, was for sale.

'I saw a lot of potential with the business,” Ohnemus said. 'I knew I could make it a lot more than it was.”

Ohnemus purchased the flower shop in 2014 and, for the first year, made no changes. The former owners even continued to work at the store for a time as Ohnemus learned the ins and outs.

Eventually, she began to implement her own vision.

'I'm looking to get away from Internet orders and do more events like weddings,” Ohnemus said. 'I also want to make this a go-to shop for picking up presents and locally made items.”

Ohnemus began selling gift items such as soaps, candles, jewelry, furniture and home decor along with flowers.

'Everything is locally made,” she said. 'When I became a business owner, I realized how everything is dominated by big corporations. I didn't want to support that; I want to keep the money here.”

The biggest change for Ohnemus' business came in January when she moved the shop to a brand-new mixed use development in Coralville and renamed it Mint Julep Flower Shop.

At the new location, Ohnemus said business has increased by 'leaps and bounds.” With residential units above the shop and other commercial and retail businesses located nearby, foot traffic has grown significantly.

'We have our own little community here,” she said. 'It's still early on, but I can tell already.”

The new location provides enough space for Ohnemus to hold classes. She said she is planning summer classes on topics such as wreath-making, essential oils, and how to arrange garden flowers.

'That's the teacher in me coming out,” she said.

' Know a company or manager who has been in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor”? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com

At a Glance

Owner: Charley Ohnemus

Business: Mint Julep Flower Shop

Address: 808 Fifth Street, Suite 6, Coralville

Phone: (319) 354-4153

Email: mintjulepflowershop@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mintjulepflowershop