TULSA, Okla. — Families staying home are missing out on big moments, and may even be missing their own loved ones. As they send their love from afar with flowers, they're helping Gallery Floral on Cherry Street stay open.
Joe Guetlein closed his little shop at the end of March, due to the combination of construction blocking visitors and uncertainty around what would happen with coronavirus.
However, he didn't stay closed for long. Within three days he got so many orders he had to open back up, and the business has not stopped since.
"We have done more in the month of April than we did in January, February, and March, including Valentine’s Day,” Guetlein said. “It was a lot of people sending flowers to grandparents they can’t go and see, a lot of birthdays, a lot of healthcare workers, teachers, just everybody making everyone’s days better.”
Guetlein says he has made numerous visits to the hospital for doctors and nurses, as loved ones send their well wishes. Because all those people chose to shop locally, he's been able to make deliveries nonstop.
“Thank you," Guetlein says to his customers. "Wow. You have definitely kept this guy’s dream alive, and I appreciate every part of it. I never thought that this would happen, but to everyone in the community, definitely thank you.”
Gallery Floral has gone fully online, and fully contactless as they make their deliveries. Guetlein says the orders on his phone and website have not stopped, and when he's not in his shop filling the orders, he is out delivering them all over the Tulsa metro area.
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