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It seems like florists are sprouting up everywhere
these days, if you'll pardon the expression, but few boast the
experience and clientele of Towne Flower Shoppe.
Husband and wife team Bill Kissel and Jody Blake of Towne Flower
Shoppe stand behind a cart displaying their exceptional floral
choices.
Owner Bill Kissel came from New York to Miami in 1984
with an already extensive background in the floral business and
started the Brickell Avenue Floral Corporation.
He returned to New York from 1987-1989 after his
mother passed away to help take care of the family's business -- it
was his mother who gave him his start at The Garden Path, her World
Trade Center floral shop.
Finally, Kissel came back to Miami in 1989, renaming
his company the Brickell Worldwide Flower Company, Towne's
predecessor. Through it all, Kissel developed and kept a strong,
diverse client base by putting extra emphasis on providing top-notch
service.
"One of our foundations is good, personalized
service," Kissel said. "We've earned the loyalty of a
variety of customers through the years because we'll do things like
get an arrangement somewhere in an hour if you've forgotten an
anniversary or something like that."
The reputation he earned because of that dedication to
service has helped land him a variety of lucrative accounts.
"Over the years I've worked on everything and I
know the flower industry soup-to-nuts," Kissel explained.
"At first we did a lot of weddings and parties, then a lot of
cruise ships and finally we did a great deal of hotel work."
Kissel's list of former clients is elaborate and
impressive. He provided both Costa and Celebrity Cruises with their
arrangements and he's worked with hotels such as the Biltmore, the
Grand Bay, the Alexander, the Doral Country Club and the
Intercontinental. His first shop in Miami was in the Hyatt Downtown
and it was Kissel who was chosen to supply floral arrangements for the
openings of the Mayfair Hotel and Fisher Island.
When Kissel, who lives in East Kendall with his wife
Jody Blake, decided to relocate his shop in order to "get back to
the basics of daily business" and be closer to home, he naturally
looked for a site in Pinecrest.
"It is such a strong residential environment down
here," said Kissel. "There is such a tremendous sense of
community, it really feels like a village."
Blake has played a huge role in the new business and
Kissel said she does a little of everything.
"We've become a mom-and-pop organization and she
has come on to do some of the marketing, promotional and
administrative work," he said. "She did a tremendous job
helping to decorate the shop."
Perhaps the most significant reason for Kissel's
success is his creativity and commitment to using items in his
arrangements that are outside the norm. Towne is not your typical
red-roses-and-pink-carnations florist.
"You have no idea how many calls we get
complimenting the arrangements that he has put together," Blake
said of her husband, who designs all arrangements. "He is a
tremendous, creative designer who is willing to try things that no
other florist will. I can't tell you how many new things Bill has
introduced to the industry down here."
Kissel said he is confident in what he does.
"I've had top-notch floral designers
before," he said, "but I haven't needed them for some time.
I've learned from all of them, plus integrated what I learned up
north, where they use many different materials."
Towne Flower Shoppe is a full service florist,
offering a variety of flowers, plants, gift items, greeting cards and
arrangements, providing service for weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs
and conventions. Their flowers are the finest quality, with live, silk
and dried varieties available. Towne also does a tremendous amount of
corporate work, becoming experts in that field during the company's
15-year location on Brickell Avenue.
For more information about Towne Flower Shoppe, please
call 305-233-8696 or stop by their beautiful shop at 8445 SW 132 St.
Hours are 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and 9 am to 12 pm
Saturday and Sunday. The Towne Flower Internet web site may be found
at www.citysearch.com under the Miami section.
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