Flower Shop Of Farmingdale Celebrates 20 Years: 'Thank You'

FARMINGDALE, NY — Flower Shop of Farmingdale has provided colorful bouquets of flowers and arrangements for all occasions and holidays for 20 years.

The store, located at 316 Main St., Farmingdale, celebrated two decades with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday afternoon.

Owner Jeanette Zimmerman-Schmidt said operating the store is a lot of work and has relied on "a lot of support" from her family, friends, customers and staff.

"Everybody's amazing," Zimmerman-Schmidt told Patch. "We wouldn't be able to do it without them."

Over the past 20 years, Zimmerman-Schmidt said her biggest challenge was balancing family life and business.

"My kids understand a lot of sacrifice, because mommy works a lot, right?" she said, flanked by her children.

Her son replied, "Yeah. On the holidays, you ditch us," to laughs.

"The holidays are difficult, because we work 100-hour holidays, and most people are sitting and enjoying," his mother said. "It's a busy time of year for most holidays: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving. It's a challenge, but you've got to do it. It's part of the industry."

The flower shop has supplied its wares for good times and sad times among many occasions over its history. The business "flourished" during the coronavirus pandemic, Zimmerman-Schmidt said.

"People couldn't be together, so they were very into sending flowers," she said. "We were probably doing about 160 deliveries a day during COVID. It was very unfortunate with people passing, but it was nice that people could still stay connected in a way because of our product."

Joe Garcia, president of the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, said the average business is open for six-and-a-half to seven years, while pointing out to a crowd gathered out in front of the store that Flower Shop of Farmingdale reached 20 years.

"That's 20 years of raising kids, I see; of cleaning toilets, taking out the garbage, figuring out how to order flowers in short supply because somebody just needed them," Garcia said. "Taking problems and solving them. You're not in the flower business, you're in the problem-solving business. You're there for families on really good days, and really bad days, too. Today, the chamber wants to be here for you, because you've been doing that for everybody else. Congratulations on 20 years. Thank you for picking Farmingdale all those years ago."

New York State Sen. Steve Rhoads said he was "thrilled" to be able to attend the anniversary and offer the shop a proclamation.

"You personally have gotten me out of a lot of jams," Rhoads told Zimmerman-Schmidt and her team. "I very much appreciate that. This is my go-to place. We are so incredibly proud of you, proud of your longevity, proud of the amount you give back to our community, which is really what it's all about."

Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti congratulated the shop on 20 years, which he said is a "really, really good run."

"You picked an incredible location in the heart of Farmingdale, a wonderful community," Ferretti said. "You're a member of a great chamber; ione of the best on Long Island and in New York state. I wish you many, many more years of success. Hopefully we're back in 30 years for your 50th anniversary."

Zimmerman-Schmidt thanked everybody for their support over the past 20 years.

"[Thank you] for everything," she said. "Just for being a friendly face, coming in and wishing us well. Just being here for all these years. Thanking my family and my staff. Everybody that loves us and supports us."

Flower Shop Of Farmingdale Celebrates 20 Years: 'Thank You' originally appeared on the Farmingdale Patch