Atlantic City, NJ Florists

Atlantic City Flower Shop News

A Family Tradition: Berkeley Floral Shop Celebrates 45 Years - Berkeley, NJ Patch

Patch. "Everyone's pretty much down to earth in this area. A lot of our customers, they're just fabulous. They come in, they're like family." Cofka worked in marketing for 12 years with Atlantic City casinos. Sixteen years ago, her parents — Paul and Cathy Mulhern — retired. They had sold their other shops in Sea Girt and Howell. Their daughter took the opportunity to buy the Bayville shop from her parents. "It just got overwhelming with the politics," she said of working for casinos. "I just said, 'Why am I doing this for everybody else when I can do it myself and apply a lot of the marketing that I learned through the casinos into my own business?'" Since then, A Blossom Shop Florist has earned several accolades from floral organizations and the Asbury Park Press. They will celebrate their 45th anniversary in several ways. A Blossom Shop Florist kicked off the celebration with a contest: guess the cost of the banner in their Jan. 10 post. The closest guesser by Jan. 24 will win one dozen roses arranged in a vase. The florist will also hold a summer event offering 45-cent roses, as they have on past anniversaries. A Blossom Shop Florist will also once again run the "Pedal it Forward" program. Anyone who donates a nonperishable food item during that time will receive a free flower bouquet. A local food bank will receive the donation. Forty-five years in, Cofka still values the relationships the shop has built with customers. "We recognize a lot of our customers," she said. "We have some customers that come in every week for flowers. But it's really about the relationships that have been built year after year... https://patch.com/new-jersey/berkeley-nj/family-tradition-berkeley-floral-shop-celebrates-45-years

Archive: The 2006 NJ government shutdown - from casinos to courts, all were quiet - NorthJersey.com

Wednesday. The machines that spit out tickets for state lottery drawings were idle, as were the slot machines and gambling tables at all 12 of Atlantic City's casinos, which shut down at 8 a.m. Rangers turned away visitors to the state's 42 parks. And Trenton, where most of the state's 45,000 furloughed employees work, was virtually empty during what should have been a busy lunch hour. "We've had no one. No one," said Jung Koh, owner of Jung's Place luncheonette on West State Street. "First the floods, now the budget. I'm closing early." Atlantic City, which normally bustles around-the-clock with the jingle-jangle of slot machines and the din of alcohol-fueled revelry, was silenced at 8 a.m., when state monitors were sent home. Some casinos closed shop earlier, taking time to store chips and cash. Several visitors said they planned to leave town and spend their money elsewhere. "We'll go right ... to West Virginia," said Maryland resident Patti Meyer. "They have a budget there." The Atlantic City casinos generate a total of $1.3 million in state taxes each day. With gambling idled, many of the city's 50,000 casino employees found themselves suddenly out of work until the budget impasse is resolved. "We're going to be on hold," said John Tracy, a card dealer at Caesars. "I don't think it'll last long. We'll see what happens." NJ Transit reported that passenger traffic on its bus routes to Atlantic City from Newark and New York fell by more than 70 percent Wednesday. Academy Bus suspended service to Atlantic City from New York and various locations in New Jersey for the duration of the government shutdown. Academy spokeswoman Deidre Rienzo, said the company instead will offer additional departures from the New York area to the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos in Connecticut. "For us, it's a real opportunity," said Mohegan Sun President Mitchell Etess. "It's unfortunate for the operators in Atlantic City, but we think it may be of some help to us." Gambling was also idled at The Meadowlands Racetrack. The horses were fed and stables cleaned early Wednesday, but within hours it was all but deserted. Eleven scheduled races were canceled because state racing regulators had been furloughed. Monmouth Park and even the privately owned Freehold Raceway also went dark Wednesday. "We're all sitting around earning nothing," said John Campbell, harness racing's all-time leading driver who h... http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/06/29/archive-2006-n-j-government-shutdown-casinos-courts-all-were-quiet/441472001/

2017 Valentine's Day gift and travel guide - Queens Chronicle

The southern part of the United States has always been known for great desserts. Brennan’s of Houston makes these soft praline pieces that remind you of the delicious fudge that you find in Atlantic City. Whoopie pies are a southern treat, but the sweetest that I have ever tasted are those frmo Wicked Whoopies (wickedwhoopies.com), surprisingly made in Freeport, Maine, a Portland suburb famous for its outlet shopping. Former investment banker Liz Fife recently started a New York-based company, Batter & Cream (batterandcream.com), that specializes in whoopie pies.Cheryl’s (cheryls.com) has a Valentine’s Day gift box of its popular cookies while Harry & David’s has gift baskets of its popular Moose Munch popcorn as well as its many other confections.Couples who are coffee drinkers and who don’t mind a touch of saccharine kitsch should purchase Care Bears his and hers mugs.For the spirits industry, Valentine’s Day ranks just behind New Year’s Eve in terms of sales numbers. Liqueurs such as Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur, Baileys Old Irish Creme, Kahlua and Baileys Salted Caramel and Bailey’s recent creation, Espresso Café Creme, are safe bets. France is renowned for red wine but Calvados Boulard is a fine brandy from its Normandy region. Ireland now has competition in the cream liqueur industry as evidenced by South Africa’s Amarula Cream.Sparkling wines such as France’s Lillet Rose and Italy’s Banfi Rosa Regale are also synonymous with romance. If you want a slight sweet touch to somewhat harder alcohol, try Smirnoff Wild Honey Vodka or Balvenie Caribbean Cork.If you prefer smooth over sweet, Glenfiddich 12, Macallan, Usquaebach and Johnnie Walker Black Label (the Blue Label will cost you over $200) are great options in the scotch whisky mark... http://www.qchron.com/editions/central/valentine-s-day-gift-and-travel-guide/article_4aa66bda-ed48-11e6-bf6c-63e4ccbee247.html

Area florists get some benefits from online flower services - Press of Atlantic City

You have now viewed your allowance of free articles.Login SubscribeYou must login to view the full content on this page.Reporter/ Business Writer© 2016 Press of Atlantic City. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Thank you for reading and relying on pressofAtlanticCity.com for your news and information. You have now viewed your allowance of free articles.Login Subscribe... http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/business/area-florists-get-some-benefits-from-online-flower-services/article_1f2aef36-14b2-11e6-91d8-f7428a15cb33.html

2016 Valentine's Day gift and travel guide - Queens Chronicle

The southern part of the United States has always been known for great desserts. Brennan’s of Houston makes these soft praline pieces that remind you of the delicious fudge that you find in Atlantic City. Whoopie pies are a southern treat, but the sweetest that I have ever tasted are those made by Wicked Whoopies... http://www.qchron.com/editions/central/valentine-s-day-gift-and-travel-guide/article_171884cc-ce83-11e5-8063-7f30cf3636d7.html

NJ Florist Gets Back to Business with Flower Delivery and Classes as New Jersey Reopens. - TAPinto.net

TAPintoTV’s original series, HomeGrown, spoke with Anna Coy, Florist and Owner of Blooms in Hand, about life during the COVID-19 lockdown and how her business has rebounded now that New Jersey has started reopening.Blooms in Hand is a full-service floral studio in Verona. While they are primarily a subscription service, delivering bouquets weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, they also host classes, workshops and service special events and weddings. “I’ve always had an interest in gardening and floral work,” said Coy, who worked with a florist in Philadelphia for over a decade learning the business, before she moved to New Jersey and starting her own business here. Sign Up for Passaic Valley NewsletterOur newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust.You have successfully signed up for the TAPinto Passaic Valley Newsletter.The COVID-19 outbreak and the closures it brought were difficult times. “I had a breakdown. I definitely did some sobbing,” Coy said. Her calendar for the spring had been loaded with events. “To have all of that gone in an instant was really kind of hard.” Once New Jersey began its Restart and Recovery Program, Coy waited until it was safe and deliveries c... https://www.tapinto.net/towns/passaic-valley/categories/news/articles/nj-florist-gets-back-to-business-with-flower-delivery-and-classes-as-new-jersey-reopens-2d1f0de0-5499-44cd-be3a-5c2e4914ac24

Flower shop among many businesses fighting to blossom - The Riverdale Press

Dennis finds more customers want deliveries, rather than stopping by themselves to pick up orders. That has sent Columbia delivery drivers throughout New York City, as well as New Jersey, Westchester County and Connecticut. Those are some tall orders, especially since social distancing requirements limits the number of workers allowed in the small shop. “We cannot have many people working in the store, so it has been busier for us,” Dennis said. “Most of the time it has just been my sister, myself and one worker. I have even been taking deliveries out myself.”Sales have dipped, but so have supplies in some cases. In late March, as many were trying to adjust to the “new normal,”  Columbia struggled to stock its flower inventory, both in quantity and variety. For example, one thing missing from the store’s offerings has been tulips. Fortunately, most flowers purchased from South America are still available, Dennis said. Pricing hasn’t changed much, but delivery costs have increased since the shop is going without its regular delivery staff.Flowers also are a crucial part of large events like weddings and baby showers. Yet, all events are now canceled or postponed. It’s unclear when they’ll return, but at least one customer found a creative way to repurpose her ordered flowers into a kind gesture.The woman had put together a sizable order for a baby shower, but ended up hospitalized with the virus that causes COVID-19. Fortunately, she recovered, Dennis said. She was so thankful for her recovery, in fact, she sent the flowers intended for her shower instead to the nurses who took care of her.Unfortunately, many small businesses aren’t having the same luck as Columbia, as the coronavirus shutdown languishes on. While many storefronts are shut because they’re deemed “non-essential,” those that can stay open operate at a reduced capacity. The big question is whether many of the now-shuttered businesses will be able to reopen once New York City is allowed to open its doors again. Some businesses — even essential ones — are choosing to stay closed with hopes of being around long-term, said Christopher Rizzo, a board member of the Riverdale Main Streets Association.“Some of these small businesses have such small profit margins to begin with,” Rizzo said. “So staying open when your revenues are cut in half does not make sense for a lot of businesses. They are choosing to stay closed so that they can stay open in the future.” Dennis says she’s thankful Columbia Florist can stay open in some capacity. She receives many calls from customers thanking her for the flower deliveries, especially to funerals, where a lot of people aren’t present. Says Dennis: “Having a flower there makes a big difference.” ... https://riverdalepress.com/stories/flower-shop-among-many-businesses-fighting-to-blossom,71820

Black-Owned Philly-Area Wedding Planners, Florists and Decor Pros to Know - Philadelphia magazine

Black Lives Matter protest? Carla Friday, the founder of Details Made Simple, is working with the couple on moving their big celebration to 2021. While the studio is based in Westfield, New Jersey, Philly is a key market for Friday and her team. She has four local coordinators serving the city and surrounding areas. (So there is not typically an extra charge for a wedding around here.) Details Made Simple does exactly that: The firm offers only day-of coordination (not full planning). It works with couples planning the wedding on their own and who are looking for help pulling off the Big Day. “It’s all we do; it’s our thing,” she quips. Packages include the V.I.B. (Very Important Bride), Peace of Mind, Destination Wedding, and Venue Scouting & Procurement. (There are Little Extras, like rehearsal practice, DIY project assistance or tuxedo return, offered a la carte, too.)Elegant Events Planning & Design Owner and lead event planner Donielle Warren has a story that sounds like a wedding dream come true: She started as an intern with Elegant Events’s former owner. She later purchased the firm and has been running the show ever since. Located in Northeast Philly and Newark, Delaware, the brand’s reach extends through the region (plus far-off destinations). The packages are broken down from Silver (day of) to Platinum (full service); the team also can outfit your soiree with floral design, invitations and related paper goods. Interested? All you have to do is text via the website.Enchanted Allure Events The East Brunswick-based boutique wedding planning and design firm focuses on creating a stress-free experience for couples throughout the Philly region and New Jersey (as well as New York). Founder and principal planner Melissa Brooks and her team are driven by creative and modern designs, but ultimately dream up a day (and related celebrations) that is unique to you and your love. Custom packages range from à la carte options to full-service planning and design; engagements, day-after brunches and unions of all sizes (elopements, micro-weddings or large bashes) are among the events they skillfully guide. Even virtual consultations via Zoom or teleconference are on offer. Event Loft/... https://www.phillymag.com/philadelphia-wedding/2020/06/09/black-owned-philly-area-wedding-vendors/

Sales aren’t blooming: Florists adjust during pandemic - Midland Daily News

Ms. Bobola said she had to shut down the florist because wholesalers where Bobola Farms receives flowers from in New Jersey and Pennsylvania were closed. Bobola Farms will begin selling some produce in the upcoming weeks; first up are strawberries, which have started to bloom. Bobola Farms has been open since the late 1990s and Ms. Bobola said she never experienced anything like this. She hopes Mother’s Day can help bring back some normalcy but reminded that everything is limited. “It’s the longest we’ve ever been closed,” Ms. Bobola said. “You’ve got to get started somewhere, so we’re just going to do the best we can. I hope people will be patient. We’ll do everything we can to be as close to normal but there will be substitutions. I hope people understand this isn’t easy but we’ll work with them.” Florists are following all protocols recommend by the Centers for Disease Control to help limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes wiping down all vases, wearing gloves while handling flowers and disinfecting the store every night. It also includes contact-free delivery, where the driver will call the customer when the flowers are on the steps of their home. Mrs. Fries said Jen-Mor had to lay off part of its staff when the pandemic first began. She added it has been able to slowly bring back some of the staff. The loss of workers has made the busy weeks even more stressful. “It’s been exhausting,” Mrs. Fries said. “The few of us that are here are doing the work of more people. There’s only so much we can do with this staff so our inventory is smaller than usual.”... https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Sales-aren-t-blooming-Florists-adjust-during-15258683.php