Michele’s Floral under new ownership

By PAMELA GRANT

Cove Leader-Press

Beginning April 1, Kathryn Villarreal took over ownership of Michele’s Floral & Gifts. Fans of the store need not worry, though, as Villarreal plans to keep many aspects the same as prior owner Michele McGuire.

“I’m very excited to be a part of Michele’s tradition that she created back in 1989. Gary and Michele have been wonderful. They’ve guided me the whole way through. I cannot speak highly enough of that,” said Villarreal. “We are still very proud to display all of Michele’s plaques in the store.”

Due to health reasons, McGuire could not continue to run the shop, so Villarreal took over ownership. She said that it was very important to keep the shop going in its current form. As of now, Villarreal has no intention of changing the name, logo, or location. She does want to incorporate new things such as floral classes.

Villarreal is a full-time RN, and said she felt like she needed a new outlook on life. Last year, she contacted the previous owners and learned about the floral world. She said they graciously allowed her to come in and learn all about flowers.

“I wanted to embark upon a new adventure in my life,” said Villarreal.

Villarreal describes herself as an energetic go-getter and mother of three who says that family is very important to her.

She hopes that the floral shop can continue to be a benefit to the community by doing things like sponsoring Rabbit Fest, Susan G. Komen Run for the Cure, and more.

“We just want to give Cove something fun to look forward to, and something new and different as well,” added Villarreal.

Michele’s Floral offers an array of fresh flower arrangements as well as creative gifts for a variety of events. They offer same day delivery. She said they deliver early in the morning as well as at midnight. 

“We pride ourselves with customer service above all else. We make sure that if you are not satisfied with your arrangement, you have ten days to bring the fresh arrangement back and we gratefully replace it at no cost.”

In addition to floral arrangement, they also offer a variety of gift items for a variety of occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, as well as holidays. They sell candy, stuffed animals, balloon bouquets, and more. They advertise that they don’t just sell flowers, they provide customers with a way to “Express your emotions.”

The last time the shop was sold was in 1989, when McGuire purchased the former “Bobbie’s Floral”, which opened in Copperas Cove in the late 1960s.