My Biz: New home for The Flower Shop at Cedar Memorial

The frosty elegance of a wintry wonderland welcomes all who step inside the new location for The Flower Shop at Cedar Memorial Park.

The shop has served the area since it opened in 1954, providing live flowers and plants, cemetery placements as well as arrangements and solutions for special occasions, weddings, and holidays.

Due to increasing business and a need for renovation in their old location, the employees needed more work space.

'We were stepping on each other across the street and frantically running out of room,” said Manager Nancy Meckel, 'It was time to do updates to the original building.”

In April 2015, The Flower Shop temporarily moved into the former Chalet Ski building across the street from Cedar Memorial. Once the remodeling phase was underway, it became obvious the project was going to be way more involved than expected and plans had to be reviewed.

'They were in dire need of another visitation room across the street for funerals,” Meckel explained. 'We loved it over here and it was working out so well,” so the temporary move became permanent.

While the shop's sympathy business is always the key priority, Meckel said the store has seen an increase in its wedding business since moving to the larger space.

'It has just exploded, which is wonderful,” she noted.

The move to the former Chalet building was a good decision for several reasons.

'The Chalet has had a lot of businesses in it, and people know where it is,” she explained. 'We love the unique style of the building and it serves our needs well. We've been able to expand our gift line since we have the room.”

Meckel hopes to locate a bed when she goes to market in January, all part of a plan to enhance display in the store.

'We want to have rooms in here so we can create a look,” she said. 'It's going to be a little bit different from what you would find anywhere else,”

While much work and planning has gone into creating something new and exciting inside the shop, Meckel says plans are in the works to use the deck outside down the road.

'Right now the deck is covered in lighted Christmas trees that are left on all night,” Meckel said. 'It's worth the drive by.”

With the holiday season in full swing, and the shop having recently completed its annual holiday open house, the staff of 12 employees will be busy preparing and decorating for the upcoming 'Christmas at Cedar” event from Dec. 19 to Dec. 21.

Meckel said there still is a small flower shop in the store's former location on the Cedar Memorial campus.

'People who need things for the cemetery or the mausoleum can still go that smaller shop just off the chapel, where we used to be,”

Know a company in business for more than a year that would make a great My Biz? Contact George C. Ford at george.ford@thegazette.com

At a glance

l Business: The Flower Shop/Cedar Menorial Park

l Manager/Floral Designer: Nancy Meckel

l Address: 4361 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

l Telephone: (319) 393-8004

l Website: https://store.cedarmemorial.com/