WildFlower, opening next month, aims to “create a flower shop that appeals to the modern-day customer with an uncomplicated and exciting experience,” says co-owner Christine Guenther

BALTIMORE, MD (September 28, 2020) – Christine and Joey Guenther have been working to debunk the stereotypical view of the traditional flower shop since they acquired The Petal Pusher florist in 2016. In a quest to “inject energy and imagination” into the flower and flower arrangement-buying experience, the husband and wife team are set to open the second location of their new brand, WildFlower, at 910 Cromwell Park Drive in Glen Burnie next month. The Guenther’s signed a lease with St. John Properties, Inc. for 2,600 square feet of space in the 10,725 square foot retail building at Cromwell Business Park in Anne Arundel County. Eric Llewellyn, Leasing Representative with St. John Properties represented the landlord in this transaction.

Last year, St. John Properties completed a comprehensive renovation and retenanting program of the free-standing retail building which features unobstructed roadside visibility to 106,000 vehicles per day from Interstate 97. Designed to support the 975,000 square foot Cromwell Business Park, Starbucks Coffee opened within the center late last year.

Since their purchase and operation of The Petal Pusher several years ago, which has a more than 40-year legacy as a premier florist in Anne Arundel County, the Guenther’s sought to “create a flower shop that appeals to the modern-day customer with an uncomplicated and exciting experience,” explained Christine Guenther. Utilizing a creative interior design that opens up the world of flowers to anyone who enters, WildFlower will be filled with a wide range of cut flowers by the stem, providing customers the opportunity to hand-pick flowers suitable for a particular occasion or celebration and become extremely “hands-on” with the creative process.

“A priority is to have the customer participate as much as they would like in the selection of flowers to assemble the perfect customized bouquet, and especially involve and educate those that have limited knowledge of the craft,” Guenther added.  “We accomplish this by eliminating the back of the house concept, with every flower option available for view by the consumer on the Stem Bar or in our display coolers. Different sample arrangements will be created, but customers will be encouraged to customize the designs as well.”

“A common thing people say when they come into to our shop is ‘I don’t know a lot about flowers,’” says Guenther. “The goal is to remove that discomfort. Anyone can take a look at our Stem Bar and say ‘I like that one.’”

Wildflower will employ 15 people between its two locations and feature a full retail shop stocked with house plants, candles, soaps, apparel, and other gift items — “unique products that can’t be easily found at big-box retailers,” Guenther added. The boutique will sell items created by local artists and, as much as possible, include seasonal flowers grown by farms located in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. The first outpost of the WildFlower brand opened in Arnold, Maryland in November 2019.

“We were attracted to the physical nature of the store itself, which features glass windows on two sides and is conducive to people peering in to see our products and our process,” Guenther explained. “The presence of Starbucks was another motivating factor because we believe people that enjoy a premium, custom coffee experience represent our core customer as well. The location within close proximity to a flower distribution center in Jessup and an international airport, where fresh flowers from around the world will arrive daily, were also strong considerations in our decision.”

The scope of the renovation activity completed at the retail center entailed an upgrade of the exterior building facade including the installation of new EIFS with enhanced tenant signage, sidewalks, awnings, and landscaping. The work also included the refurbishment and striping of the parking lot, as well as the construction of a drive-through lane and window on one end-cap unit of the building.

“We always strive to attract locally-owned stores and boutiques to our retail centers because we believe these types of retailers help differentiate an asset and create unique and regular consumer visitations, while acting as mini-anchors,” stated Bill Holzman, Vice President of Retail Leasing for St. John Properties. “Christine and Joey are extremely impressive and passionate about their concept, with a strong track record of retail success. The improvements at 910 Cromwell Park Drive, combined with the opening of Starbucks, are paying significant dividends with our leasing activities.”

Nearly 80,000 people reside within a three-mile radius of Cromwell Business Park, with annual household incomes approaching $85,000. The business community offers immediate access to Interstates 97, 95 and MD Route 295. In addition to Starbucks Coffee, amenities within Cromwell Business Park include 7-Eleven, Royal Farms Store, Subway, Los Portales, Aviation Deli & Grill, and Allstate Insurance.

St. John Properties, Inc., founded in 1971, owns and has developed more than 20 million square feet of Flex/R&D, Office, Retail and Warehouse space in Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah and Wisconsin. The company was named “2018 Developer of the Year” for the Nation by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.  For more information about the company, visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com.