Rockford floral shop to close its doors after 90+ years in business

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - It’s the end of an era.

Broadway Florist opened in 1929 on Broadway in Rockford. It was there until eight years ago when the current owner moved it to Maray Drive. Now the business that has blossomed for so long in the stateline makes the difficult decision to close.

“It wasn’t an easy decision by any means,” says owner Michelle Stocker.

The full-service floral shop in Rockford made a bittersweet announcement to its customers via Facebook it will close its doors for good.

“It’s sad. People have come here for a while. It’s been a staple in our community for a very long time.”

Stocker says a shortage of full-time staff and inflation factored into this decision. The shop runs on at least seven part-time employees.

“I created an identity of who I am when I come here to work, but I’m going to be missing the people. You know, the reactions we get from doing happy things and stuff that make people feel good when they walk out of here.”

One of those customers is Joan Welsh. She says it’s been her go-to spot for floral gifts and decorative items for weddings and other occasions.

“That’s why I’m here today; to enjoy the experience of the last few days left of Broadway florist, and there’s still a lot of beautiful gift items here for people for the holidays,” says Welsh.

As a local business owner herself, Welsh says it’s hard to see another business with a strong reputation leave the Stateline.

“Our local businesses are the heart of our community. You know, they support so many other organizations.”

Stocker says it’s been a pleasure to work with each of their customers.

“It’s neat to see from our aspect and makes us feel happy that we’ve been here for different big important parts of people’s lives,” says Stocker.

Stocker says she’s going to take this time off to spend it with family.

The shop will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on its final day, Saturday, October 15th . Broadway Florist is also having a major sale on all home décor items until its closure this weekend.

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