When I first met floral designer Denis Guerin, around 5 years ago, he was looking to spice up Buffalo’s floral scene. At the time, he was cycling his flower cart up and down Elmwood Avenue, promoting Petrichor Flora with his new Beau Fleurs Flower Cart. Since then, Guerin has been threatening to open a brick and mortar location, and in 2016 he tested the waters on Hertel. Obviously, those waters must have been warm, because now Guerin is preparing to move his floral design business into a building at 50 Brayton Street, which sits directly in front of Five Points Bakery. In fact, the building is owned by Kevin and Melissa Gardner, who also own the bakery. Kevin Gardner was recently featured on Buffalo Rising as a community Building Block.
I ran into Guerin a couple of days ago, while sipping a coffee at Five Points Bakery, and congratulated him on his pending venture. I told him that I had heard he would be teaming up with Ben Johnson of Blue Table Chocolates (see article), who was also going to be opening within the 50 Brayton Street building. “Actually, it’s funny,” said Guerin. “It turns out that we both approached Kevin and Melissa at the exact same time, inquiring about the building. We had no idea that the other person was interested, but it turns out to be the perfect fit.”
The perfect fit indeed. Blue Table Chocolates will be opening a new kitchen, factory, and retail space, and Petrichor Flora will be opening a floral design and retail studio. Now that sounds like a marriage made in heaven. Which is funny because Five Points Bakery is currently in major expansion mode to accommodate weddings (and other special events), in a rear courtyard that is being built out this summer (see here).
This is all fantastic news for the Five Points neighborhood, which continues to surprise and impress. This joining of forces, between chocolates and flowers? Who could have guessed?
“I’ve had a lot of cool people, with great ideas approach me about the building,” said Kevin Gardner. “Then these two approached me at the same time, and it was really hilarious. It was the perfect fit for what we’re doing, and it’s going to be the perfect fit for the neighborhood. When the glass goes into the building, and the businesses open up, there will be a new dynamic at the intersection. It’s going to help bridge the commercial community. There will be more density, and business diversity. It would be great to see the 13,000 square foot building across the street sell – there’s so much potential for that one (see inset). This neighborhood has come so far, and it’s getting better and better all the time.”