After 24 years at its Oak Grove Avenue location, in back of the post office, Cindy’s Flowers & Gifts is moving to a new shop with more than three times the space at 558 Santa Cruz Ave., the site of the former Wessex bookstore.
When faced with a huge rent increase at her Oak Grove store, owner Cindy Smith realized it was time to move, she says.
“I had always wanted to have my store on Santa Cruz anyway,” she notes.
The new location, which she expects to open by mid-August, has 2,600 square feet; the former store at 657 1/2 Oak Grove was only 750 square feet. The added space will allow her to sell a wider variety of products, such as tropical flower arrangements and more high-style vases, she says. She will also be adding a wedding consulting area.
In an effort to make certain flowers last longer, Ms. Smith is adding a walk-in refrigerator — which customers can access — and incorporating a new system for the water in which the flowers are placed.
She will continue to sell fresh flowers, balloon arrangements, gourmet gift baskets and other items she offered at her old store.
The new shop’s location near the Menlo Park train station gives her an opportunity to offer special services to customers. “I’ll go over and hand the flowers to them as they get on or off the train,” she says.
For those who prefer online shopping, she will continue to sell products at cindysflowersandgifts.com. “You can shop in your pajamas if you want,” she says.
Having lived in Menlo Park for most of her life and graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School, Ms. Smith says she is looking forward to remaining a part of the community.
“I’ve seen my customers date, get married, have children — then their children have children and they come in, too,” she says.
Although her previous location on Oak Grove Avenue has closed, and the new shop won’t open until mid-August, she is open for business in the meantime via the Web (cindysflowersandgifts.com) and phone (321-4864).
