THE BUSINESSES: Flower shop is downtown meeting place: Diverse crowd stops by for conversation and shopping

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Progress Sunday, March 17, 2002 Steve Bloom/The Olympian Lynch Creek Floral co-owner Colleen Hunter works on a customer's arrangement in her downtown Shelton store. THE BUSINESSES: Flower shop is downtown meeting place Diverse crowd stops by for conversation and shopping RUTH LONGORIA THE OLYMPIAN There are working women, Greeners, Republicans, Democrats, ladies from church groups and old-timers. Just about everybody hangs out here." -- Nancy Peterson, floral designer SHELTON -- Signs outside the shop entice customers in for pastries, gifts and flowers, but it's the lively conversation and sense that "everybody knows your name" that draws many regular visitors to Railroad Avenue's Lynch Creek Floral. The downtown flower business is known by many as Shelton's second civic center, said Gerry RingErickson, executive director of the Shelton Mason Chamber of Commerce. "It's definitely a community meeting place," he said. Lynch Creek Floral began in 1980 as a family organic vegetable and flower business on Len and Colleen Hunter's northwest Shelton farm. Len Hunter grew up in upstate New York; Colleen Hunter grew up in Shelton, graduating from Shelton High School in 1965. "We never thought we'd get into this kind of business; it just sort of happened," Colleen Hunter said. Originally, the Hunters' children, Rob, Jim and Andy, sold the flowers and vegetables at the Olympia Farmers Market. The business grew to a small gift and flower shop in the Barkley Square area -- a strip mall near A & W -- and gradually evolved to a full-service retail flower business. Moved to downtown Five years ago, the shop moved to the downtown location, adding shelves and counters filled with novelty and gift items and an espresso corner with seating for about 15 people. Colleen Hunter said she wasn't worried about moving downtown when so much activity was occurring on the northwest side of town. "The city had been doing a lot of refurbishing, and we got a good deal on renting the building," she said. "Besides, we like the charm of the downtown." On a recent Friday afternoon, Liz Thomas, 74, of Harstine Island, dropped by Lynch Creek Floral for a latte and a chance to chat with the employees. "I stop in any time I come to town," Thomas said. "I like the store, and it's such a friendly place." Shelton resident Ray Parsons, 50, said the store makes his gift shopping much simpler. "I'm looking for a birthday gift for my wife, and I know that I can't go wrong with anything I buy here," he said. "My wife loves this store. Besides, how can you go wrong with flowers?" But flowers weren't his only choice. "Oh, Ray, have you seen this?" asked Polly Schreiber, a gifts buyer and salesperson for the store. "I think Janet would love this, it's so soft," Schreiber said as she showed Parsons a lap blanket she thought might appeal to his wife. 'People love the energy' The personal attention and positive energy of the staff is part of why customers keep coming back, Schreiber said. "People love the energy here," she said. "It's usually really busy, especially in the mornings. A lot of times it's standing room only, but no one seems to mind." Floral designer Nancy Peterson, 48, has worked at Lynch Creek Floral for about seven years. "If you work here, you're part of the family," Peterson said. That family consists of high school students and young employees, such as saleswoman Kristi Denniston, 21, and customers of all ages from all walks of Shelton life. "A lot of my friends come here," Denniston said as she poured Thomas' latte. "It's just a fun, laid-back place." The crowd is very diverse, Peterson said. "There are working women, Greeners, Republicans, Democrats, ladies from church groups and old-timers," she said. "Just about everybody hangs out here." Ruth Longoria covers Mason County for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-754-5435 or email at rlongori@olympia. gannett.com. On the Web: City of Shelton Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Shelton High School Olympia Farmers Market The Olympian Copyright 2002 back to main Progress index

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