While many restaurant owners have struggled with the economic challenges of Covid-19, the farm and cafe at Crazy Daisies bloomed with business this summer.
Owner Jennifer Cox attributes their busy season to people stuck at home during the pandemic, working on their gardens and yards.
“In times of trouble, people stay home,” said Cox. “People tend to garden more and make an oasis in their backyards. So we were very blessed this year to be so busy.”
It was a blessing in disguise, paired with the farm’s sprawling grounds and brand new cafe on Kasson Road — a perfect place to host diners outside at picnic tables six feet apart.
The farm is in its 14th season, but it’s only the second year for its Garden Cafe to be open. The first year had its fair share of “quiet days” when very few people would visit, staffers said.
But now, Crazy Daisies regularly fills their tables with customers coming to dine and peruse the selection of 45,000 plants.
It’s an eccentric greenhouse mix, which includes trendy monstera leaves, fiddle-leaf fig houseplants, succulents of all sizes, and starter pots of lemons, limes and pineapples.
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Early during the pandemic, Crazy Daisies held a series of donation dinners. For every takeout meal people bought, the farm donated another meal to neighbors or first responders. It was a small business boost, Cox said.
But when warm weather finally arrived in Central New York, the staff saw busy nights seven days a week. They also started hosting live music and open mic nights.
“Sometimes this is [the customer’s] first time in months coming out to have fun,” said bartender Maryrose Cioci. “People know to wear masks. For the most part, they know the rules. We’re respectful to them and they’re respectful right back. That’s been working very well.”
Maryrose Cioci served mimosa flights to customers at Crazy Daisies Garden Cafe.Katrina Tulloch
Crazy Daisies sells a rotation of menu items like strawberry salad or pasta primavera, sourced with local fruits and vegetables. Their cocktails are served with flowers picked by staffers every morning.
Cioci says their most popular alcoholic item by far is the $18 mimosa flight, a colorful line of boozy juice flavors topped with fresh flowers.
“People love to post about it on social media,” she said.
The busy summer has helped the Crazy Daisies team firm up their future plans. Next up, the Crazy Daisies clan plans to install three new greenhouses to expand their space to hold a larger variety of plants to sell in 2021.
Crazy Daisies will be closed from Aug. 17-24. When the farm reopens on Aug. 25, they’ll have fall flowers ready to sell.
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The Link LonkAugust 15, 2020 at 04:06AM
https://www.syracuse.com/back-in-business/2020/08/crazy-daisies-flower-farm-thrives-amid-pandemic-plans-expansion-video.html
Crazy Daisies Flower Farm thrives amid pandemic, plans expansion (video) - syracuse.com
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