A Flower Basket in Bellefonte celebrates a year of new ownership this week. Susan and Craig Munnell purchased the longstanding florist shop at 633 E. Howard St. from Faith Miller Sept. 1, 2017.
Susan a former teacher and Craig an arborist and landscaper, the couple couldn’t resist the opportunity to expand upon the shop and make it their own. Soon after their purchase, they added the gift shop to the floristry, offering items for nearly every recipient, toys, household decor and more.
Community reception, according to Susan, “has been wonderful…they’ve been so supportive.”
She notes, “The most rewarding [part] is getting to meet people and [the] customer service. That is so important to me. I have people come in just to visit, return customers that are happy with the business.”
Personalization and keen attention to detail are key for A Flower Basket’s staff. All of its florists are actual floral designers, producing “top-rate bouquets.” Miller, the previous owner, has also stayed nearby to assist the new owners.
Though A Flower Basket can provide options from larger providers like Teleflora, Susan encourages patrons to pick up the phone and call. “People need to call us directly. You get more for your money, and we can help you make your arrangement more…unique and beautiful.
“We really try to listen to our customers and know what they want,” Susan says. “Customer service is what [customers get here, that they can’t get at large chain stores]. You go into Walmart, buy a pack of roses. You come here, we’ll arrange them for you, make sure they have all they need to last. It’s just the extra touch.”
That extra touch extends to the gift shop side of the business, where it’s easy to find an array of items that can be combined to make the perfect gift basket. “You can buy your flowers, cards and a gift [for everyone] from babies to elderly people, things to fit anyone. It’s a one-stop shop, but you [still] get customer service [and] the old-fashioned, small shop feel.”
Some of the most popular items in the gift shop include the locally-made jewelry and wine accessories like wine totes and glasses. The locally-made jellies and dips likewise make great hostess gifts and a wide variety of Penn State-themed gear will delight any super-fan in your life. Munnell does her best to work with other small businesses in the area, to encourage local entrepreneurship and help others, and you can see this reflected in the items she stocks. The shop also recently added a line of greeting cards for every occasion and plans to offer Christmas cards in the winter.
The gift shop wasn’t the only addition the couple made, though.
In October, they adopted the now-popular shop cat Lucy, who’s a favorite with the customers.
A Flower Basket is celebrating its one-year anniversary and Lucy’s birthday this week, with a nearly storewide sale, refreshments and donations in Lucy’s honor. The Munnells encourage visitors to bring cat toys, food, litter, other pet care items or monetary donations, to be given to the local shelters. The anniversary and birthday party takes place Saturday and the sale runs through Saturday.
In addition to celebrating one year of operating A Flower Basket, the Munnels are also celebrating the birthday of Lucy the shop cat this week.
