Nazareth Floral Designs closes doors after nine decades in the borough

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

A popular South Main Street staple has closed its doors after more than nine decades in business, adding to the number of vacancies Nazareth's downtown is trying to fill.

Nazareth Floral Designs, which opened in 1916 and changed ownership three times, closed Oct. 14. The store’s original owner was the Alpaugh family, which sold the business to Nancy and Les Little, who sold the business in 2007 to Kevin and Nancy Donahoe.

“The business was Chamber Business of the Year in the past and they have been an active, vital part of Main Street,” said Tina Smith, president of the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are obviously very sad to see them move.”

The Donahoes plan to consolidate the South Main Street shop’s merchandise into their store at 589 E. Lawn Road in Upper Nazareth Township. That store, which the couple have owned for 18 years, is about five times the size of the borough location and will better serve customers, Kevin Donahoe said.

Donahoe contends that a tough economic climate in which many mom-and-pop shops are struggling was not a problem for the couple. Instead, they saw more walk-in customers at the Upper Nazareth location, which also includes gift items and furniture.

“About 98 percent of our business in Nazareth was phone and Internet sales,” Donahoe said. “Parking also was an issue. Here, they don’t have to put a nickel in the machine.”

In hopes of gaining more exposure, the Donahoes changed the name of their Upper Nazareth floral shop from Donahoe Farms to Nazareth Floral Designs at Donahoe Farms. Donahoe said he can manage the phone and Internet sales from the Upper Nazareth location, noting the store handled three weddings and four funerals last weekend alone.

“We’ve been very busy,” he said.

Two other vacancies remain just a few doors down from the former Nazareth Floral Designs on either side of the Nazareth Investments building and a few other vacancies exist along Belvidere Street.

Smith reports some vacancies are starting to fill up.

In April, Nazareth Hometown Hardware filled a vacancy left by Nazareth Hardware; NorFay Cafe earlier this month moved into the Bistro on Main storefront and Jelly Bean Town, USA, a children’s scrapbooking and craft shop, is gearing up to move into the spot that housed Kate’s Main St. Garden Cafe.

In January, Donahoe plans to rent out the former floral store to another merchant.

“The people here are very nice. It’s a beautiful town,” said NorFay Cafe owner Sherif Elkhyati, of Allentown, about his reasons for opening in Nazareth.

Despite the competition another floral shop on the same street offers, Lynn Klein, owner of Mycalyn Florals on South Main Street, said she was sad to see Nazareth Floral Designs leave the downtown.

“It saddens any merchant to see a business close, but you do what you have to do when it comes to running your business,” she said. “And you make tough decisions."

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2011/10/nazareth_floral_store_closes_d.html