He came out from the door at the back of the decorative, rectangular shop and hunched over the glass counter, both lower lip and graying eyebrows protruding slightly. He didn't have time to interview. The meeting had run late; they were busy. He paused a grudging second: "Well....what do you want to know?"
Rich Dziedzic is the owner of 5 Cities Florist, a small, full-service flower shop on Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande. While his wife has been a florist for 40 years, Dziedzic is a relative newcomer to the business. A native of Chicago, Dziedzic retired from commercial printing several years ago, but he wasn't ready to quit just yet. The Dziedzics' decided to purchase a small flower shop in the temperate climate of the Central California coast. "We'd been thinking about it for years," he said. "So when the opportunity came about, we bought it." They've now owned the shop on East Grand for 6 years, and are kept busy providing arrangements for weddings, funerals, wire-outs, wire-ins, and banquets. Dziedzic is first-generation Polish; his wife is Polish-Norwedgian. A brief smile flickered across his face as he glanced back through the door, "My wife is very beautiful," he added in a temporarily raised voice.
Dziedzic believes that this Polish upbringing influences the way that he does business. His, "roots go a little bit deeper" than many of the families he knows. For instance, his parents celebrated every holiday - even the smaller ones. "People are generally not as festive out here," he said. "The little holidays seem to fall through the cracks." For instance, while Valentine's Day sees plentiful business, the Dziedzics were in for a surprise their first California Easter. They were, as Dziedzic said, "all ready for Easter - we ordered lots of lilies." But Easter came and went, and no one bought them. Regardless of differences in background, Dziedzic says that the relationships he gets to develop with his customers are the best part of being a small-town florist. The Dziedzics' cosy, ornamental shop sees lots of regulars, of all ages and backgrounds. He likes the temperate California climate too. It's ideal for growing his favorite flower - the orchid.
He straightened up a bit, eyebrows protruding again. "Is that all you wanted?" The interview was over.
Dziedzic believes that this Polish upbringing influences the way that he does business. His, "roots go a little bit deeper" than many of the families he knows. For instance, his parents celebrated every holiday - even the smaller ones. "People are generally not as festive out here," he said. "The little holidays seem to fall through the cracks." For instance, while Valentine's Day sees plentiful business, the Dziedzics were in for a surprise their first California Easter. They were, as Dziedzic said, "all ready for Easter - we ordered lots of lilies." But Easter came and went, and no one bought them. Regardless of differences in background, Dziedzic says that the relationships he gets to develop with his customers are the best part of being a small-town florist. The Dziedzics' cosy, ornamental shop sees lots of regulars, of all ages and backgrounds. He likes the temperate California climate too. It's ideal for growing his favorite flower - the orchid.
He straightened up a bit, eyebrows protruding again. "Is that all you wanted?" The interview was over.
Contact Info:
Five Cities Florist
917 Grand Ave.
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
Phone:
(805) 489-5502 Store
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