Mushrooms, blueberry vines and even small not-yet-ripe tomatoes have ended up in Akron florist Matthew Caleb Moore’s designs.
Now he’s arranging for his flower/gift shop — Leaf Home and Blooms — to bloom in a much bigger space, and hopefully, he says, help to revitalize the stretch of West Market Street in West Hill.
“There is a lot of potential here,” Moore said, noting the more developed Highland Square commercial strip just a little west on West Market.
Leaf, previously called Every Blooming Thing, will move in early November to 449 W. Market St. in the site of the former longtime Stagecoach Antiques store.
For now, while that space is being renovated, Leaf is operating out of the bottom of a house tucked behind the onetime antiques shop. Leaf moved to West Market from 1079 W. Exchange St., a little more than a mile away, late last year.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan plans to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the new location Nov. 10.
“We are hoping we spark development here... connect this part of West Hill with Highland Square more and create a walkable part of the city,” Moore said.
Location transformation
While there is some work to be done on the inside of the former Stagecoach building, it has been transformed from a cluttered antique store into an airy, modern shop.
A skylight has been installed to allow natural light in for the plants that Leaf sells. Directly underneath the skylight is a large Audrey ficus tree that will not be for sale; it’s a permanent part of the decor
Pine slats cover the walls and the floor is now polished concrete. Two large front windows have replaced four smaller ones. Wood tables — including those with natural edges — give the place an organic look.
“I love creating space that’s comfortable and exciting,” Moore said. “Part of the whole mission of this store was to create a space that people want to hang out in.”
He came up with ideas of what the space should look like, and his father, Mark Moore, an architect with FMD Architects of Fairlawn, did the design work.
Moore, his husband, Michael Davis, family members and Alex St. Clair, a Leaf floral designer and sales associate, did much of the renovation work.
Expanded gift offerings
Moore, 31, took over the flower shop in July 2016, changing the name to Leaf and significantly boosting the gift portion of the business.
His husband, a landscape architect, designed Leaf’s lotus logo that is on the shop’s bags and cards that go with floral arrangements.
Today, Leaf is what some call a “lifestyle” retail spot. Along with flowers and plants, it offers soaps, table-top gifts, candles, dish towels, pillows, jewelry and more.
About 30% of the the gift items are made locally and the rest are “things we want to show Akron,” Moore said.
The new spot is six times the size of the old location, allowing Leaf to greatly expand its gift selection.
Revitalizing West Hill
Sam DeShazior, the city’s deputy mayor for economic development, noted Leaf’s relocating to West Hill is among other positive changes for the area.
The West Hill area already is home to the IPromise School, a partnership between Akron Public Schools and the LeBron James Family Foundation in Akron, as well as the planned sports complex that the foundation is planning for the Tangier events center on West Market, DeShazior pointed out.
The foundation plans to convert the top floor of Tangier’s parking garage into the complex for the IPromise School.
Additionally, the IPromise Village, which serves as transitional housing for families of the IPromise School, opened in July in a renovated existing apartment building on Rhodes Avenue, where West Hill meets Highland Square.
Leaf's new location is next to the renovated Gypsy Grace & The Vintage Goat, a gift and metaphysical supply store.
“We’re happy that they have been able to find a place to expand and not go outside of the area,” DeShazior said.
Leaf’s move to West Hill began when Moore drove by the old Stagecoach building and saw the for-sale sign. He excitedly called his mother, Ginny Moore, a real estate agent, who handled the deal.
The parents of his husband helped with the $200,000-plus purchase of the property, which includes the house that has been serving as temporary quarters.
A big attraction was the building’s visibility, Moore said.
“We loved the West Exchange Street building, but people would come in and say, ‘I didn’t really know you were here.’ " The plan was to open in the former antiques store building in May, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction.
Moore closed the shop in March when the state ordered non-essential businesses to shut down to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. He laid off six employees.
Moore began taking online and phone orders in mid-April. Customers, he said, were supportive, and for Mother’s Day, he ran out of flowers — the first time he had exhausted his flower supply for that holiday.
The shop reopened in June, with Moore bringing back three employees
'Passion for all plants'
The move to West Market last December came less than four years after Moore bought the flower shop.
He earlier had worked for the local Petiti chain of garden center stores for 11 years. His first job with that company was as a car loader and bagger at the Tallmadge store.
He said that job ignited his “passion for all plants — all things green.”
Eventually, after working in store management positions, he ended up as a floral designer at the Strongsville location.
When Petiti exited the floral business, he moved on to the now-former Pat Catan craft stores to oversee the launch of a short-lived fresh-cut floral program.
In 2015, the then-owner of Every Blooming Thing, who knew of Moore and his work in the industry, reached out to him on Facebook and wondered if he might be interested in buying the shop.
Moore worked with the former owner for a year before taking over.
Lots of people cautioned him, noting that the floral industry was fading, with shops facing stiff competition from online retailers and grocery stores.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of U.S. florist shops has dropped from 21,135 in 2005 to fewer than 13,000 in 2018.
Moore believes his focus on service, the shop’s gift offerings and its new space will set him apart enough to keep his business viable.
About half of Leaf’s floral business is weddings and other events, and the store has carved out a niche for brides and grooms wanting creative designs.
“We built this space for the community to come see and check out,” Moore said, “and engage with me, the staff and community.”
For updates on the move and upcoming classes, go to the Leaf Home and Blooms Facebook page and Instagram account.
September 30, 2020 at 05:11PM
https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2020/09/30/leaf-flower-gift-shop-helps-revitalize-west-hill-akron/3561752001/
Turning a new Leaf: Flower/gift shop helps to revitalize Akron's West Hill neighborhood - Akron Beacon Journal
https://news.google.com/search?q=Flower&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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