Hands On BY JENNIFER SPERRY SNAPSHOT High-End Haven


> At a time when some florists are looking to lessen their retail footprint — and the associated costs — Wellington Florist in Wellington, Florida, is doing the exact opposite. Owner J.P. Varvarigos took over the


business from his parents in 2003 with a growth mindset. During his 20-year tenure, he has expanded twice, from 80 to 2,000 square feet in 2014, and again to 6,000 square feet in 2022. “The 2022 expansion doubled our walk-in traffic. It makes up about 25% of our business; it’s tremendous,” he says. Today, Wellington Florist serves all of


Palm Beach County, with 1.5 million pop- ulating 1,200 square miles. Maintaining one location — and maintaining it well — has been key to Wellington’s success. “I believe in having one location instead of wasting money on multiple sites. We use


the money saved to get more orders and serve a larger radius,” explains the owner. Proportionally, Wellington Florist is


divided into two-thirds back-of-house and one-third front-of-house. Knowing his clientele is primarily upper-middle- class residents and millionaires and billionaires in some of the state’s most exclusive gated communities, Varvarigos concentrates on high-end blooms. He also benefits from Wellington’s status as the equestrian hub of the south, complete with equestrian estates and world-class polo events. “Trendy florals like roses, peonies,


and ranunculus are our bread and butter; we sell anywhere between 2,000 and 5,000 roses a week,” he says. Orchids and dish gardens are popular as well. “We sell over 10,000 orchids per year, ranging from more common


SHOWSTOPPING DISPLAYS J.P. Varvarigos (right), owner of Wellington Florist in Wellington, Florida, aims to create big, bold displays to impress customers and brand his storefront as a floral destination.


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FLORAL MANAGEMENT | March/April 2025 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


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