From humble beginnings in a garage a quarter-century ago, Flowers Forever has survived two hurricanes, various location changes, just about every economic cycle and shift imaginable, and other storms. And, under the direction of founder Alan Tada, it continues to
From humble beginnings in a garage a quarter-century ago, Flowers Forever has survived two hurricanes, various location changes, just about every economic cycle and shift imaginable, and other storms.
And, under the direction of founder Alan Tada, it continues to thrive.
The first retail shop for Flowers Forever was at the Coco Palms Resort 20 years ago, the year of Hurricane ‘Iwa, 1982. But the story of both the business and name began before that.
Tada rode his dirt bike in the canefields in the late 1970s when he noticed wood roses, picked a few, placed them on wire stems, varnished them, and sold them to vendors at Spouting Horn.
Doing that work in his garage marked the beginning of both the business and the name, signifying the wood rose’s ability to last a lifetime.
Naturally, really, he got into arranging dried bouquets of wood roses, placing the arrangements in display boxes and wholesaling them to gift shops, until 1982 when he purchased his first retail shop, Coco Palms Florist.
That was February, 1982, and even after ‘Iwa in November of 1982 the business flourished. In 1986, Tada bought Pua Lani Florist, in March, and changed the name to Flowers Forever, the original name of his wholesale company.
Growth continued, and in 1989 he bought the North Shore Flower Company, which became Flowers Forever in Princeville. Business, he said, was “smooth,” until Hurricane ‘Iniki visited in September of 1992.
Coco Palms, of course, has never reopened, and later Tada sold the Princeville location, choosing to service what by that time had become an island-wide clientele from a Hardy Street location next door to the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu’e.
The business decision to locate in that new Punua Partners building was more a stroke of genius than Tada could have ever known when he moved in. Being next to the convention hall meant he got his electricity restored three days after ‘Iniki, as the convention hall was the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s main base of operations, and bringing priority power to it meant Flowers Forever got power quickly, too.
Flowers Forever stayed on Hardy Street from 1990 to 1998, moving that year down the block and across Rice Street to Kalena Street, the current location of the business.
The full-service florist specializes in weddings, funerals, and all other occasions. It offers tropical flowers, leis and plants, and shipping across the United States via Federal Express.
The business also offers balloons, stuffed animals, unique cards, candies, silk flowers, dish gardens, fuku bonsai, fruit and gourmet food baskets, and a large selection of wine and champagne.
Island-wide delivery is available through the Flowers Forever fleet, and worldwide delivery is available through FTD and Teleflora wire service. Credit-card orders are accepted over the phone, and MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover Card and Hawaiian Miles cards are accepted.
The business is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, please call 245-4717.
“Aloha, and mahalo for the opportunity to serve you,” Tada said.
