By Lisa YatesEditor, The Times of SWLA
Love means big business for several types of businesses this time of year – especially floral boutiques like Wendi's Flower Cart.“This is the busiest season for us,” said Ray Bustillo, who owns the business with his wife, Wendi.
Wendi's Flower Cart, located at 3617 Common Street in Lake Charles, has been serving the area for more than 25 years. The friendly staff is dedicated to both creating the perfect arrangement and making sure it gets delivered on time.
“Try to order as soon as possible,” Bustillo suggested. “Normally, we run 10 trucks on Valentine's Day, but this year, it falls on a Saturday.”
He expects Friday will be another heavy delivery day this year.
“We deliver on Saturdays, but a lot of guys prefer to have their flowers delivered to where their wives, or girlfriends, work,” Bustillo said.
You can stretch the celebration into a nice, romantic weekend that way, he said.
What does it all mean?
“For Valentine's Day, the No. 1 selling flower is the red rose,” Bustillo said.
He said roses are available in many colors with meaning associated with each. For example, here are some of the traditional meanings:
Red – Love, of course
Coral – Desire
White – Innocence
Lavender – Love at first sight
Yellow – Friendship
Still, many have their favorite flowers and it's all a matter of preference.
Bustillo said his customers prefer fresh-cut flowers, with roses being the favorite.
“We're a full-service florist,” he said. “We do everything. We sell a lot of mixed arrangements, live plants, candy bouquets, silk flower arrangements and Teddy bears.”
The season brings heavier traffic than the others because one day is at the heart of it. People start calling about Valentine's Day ideas in January. Bustillo said business picks up steadily and doesn't ease until the holiday winds down.
But that's okay with him – he, Wendi, and their floral designers love every minute of it.
“This is very much a people business,” Bustillo said. “And, you don't see people sending flowers to someone they're mad at, or hate. It's very pleasing to be in this kind of business.”
Not for women only
If you think floral arrangements are just for the women, you're wrong, Bustillo said.
“This might surprise some people, but 20 to 25 percent of our Valentine's Day business is girls sending to guys,” he said.
Sure, some guys might act embarrassed, but they “really do like it,” he said.
Children are another good group to shower with flowers or other fun gifts, according to the florists.
It's not uncommon for them to deliver candy bouquets and Teddy bear arrangements to local schools.
Valentine's Day isn't just for sweethearts, it's for young and old. The florists suggest sending something to your parents to make the day fun for them, too.
“It's for all the loved ones in our life,” Bustillo said.
Wendi's Flower Cart is really in the business of love all year.
“Mothers Day is our second busiest holiday,” Bustillo said. “Secretary's Week is third. Christmas is fourth. Prom season starts in March, followed by spring and summer weddings.”
This is a year round business, and while birthdays and anniversaries and holidays appear on calendars well in advance, illnesses, deaths and other occasions call for flowers on the spur of the moment.
“Death is the hard part of what we do,” Bustillo said. “But, it's a privilege to help someone and talk to them when they come in to order flowers or a casket cover. The hardest part is when children pass away. It's very sad. My wife and I have three kids and three grand kids.”
He said they have helped families through marriages, deaths, births and every occasion in between.
“We get to welcome babies being born and be there as young people plan their weddings,” Bustillo said. “One of our floral designers, Linda, specializes in weddings.”
There's always an occasion for flowers, he said.
“Our business deals with human emotion,” Bustillo said. “Flowers convey human emotion really well.”
Customer satisfaction
Hand-crafting the arrangements and giving each one a special sparkle – down to the color and size the customer wants – is what keeps business blossoming, according to Bustillo.
“Nobody can succeed 100 percent of the time, but we succeed 99.99 percent of the time,” he said. “We always strive to give people what they want. After all, they are the ones who pay our bills.
“We appreciate our customers and we know they can go other places. It sounds cliché, but we treat people the way we want to be treated. We believe in that.”
For more information, call 474- 5236, or (800) 882-0992; or visit, at 3617 Common Street in Lake Charles; or online, at www.wendisflowercart.com.
