Business & Tech
Andrew's Garden To Close After Decade In Wheaton
Andrew's Garden will host a special event Dec. 30 to mark their last day in Wheaton.
WHEATON, IL — After more than a decade in downtown Wheaton, Andrew's Garden is set to close its doors for good on Dec. 30. Owners Andrew and Tonya Parravano first shared the news via their blog in late November, calling the closure "an incredibly difficult decision."
The couple opened their storefront in Wheaton in November 2013, at 131 W. Wesley St. after spending four years doing floral arrangements from their home, they told Patch during a 2021 interview. Inspired by European flower shops, Andrew told Patch he wanted his store to "be a very experiential shop so that when you walked in you were greeted with the flowers and the scents and sounds."
Andrew's Garden has focused on keeping a limited selection of fresh flowers, which the Parravanos told Patch allowed them to have a greater variety of blooms, much like European florists.
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The "[b]iggest compliment we can get from people is when they say this reminds me of where I grew up in Germany, or Amsterdam or London," Andrew said.
In addition to floral arrangements, Andrew's Garden has offered home decor, gifts, stationery, locally made pottery and other items. Classes in floral design have also been available to customers.
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As the couple prepares to close up shop, they are hoping to lean into the positive memories they've made in the Wheaton community with a farewell event slated for Dec. 30.
"We could spend hours talking about the 'whys and what ifs,' but honestly we don't have the energy. And, if you know Andrew's Garden, you won't be surprised that we'd rather CELEBRATE," the owners wrote in their blog post.
Visitors are welcome to browse the shop from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 30 and enjoy music by Brendan Thomas Jazz, in addition to beverages and snacks.
"We hope that years from now people are still talking about that little flower shop that used to sit at the corner of Wesley and Hale," the Parravanos wrote.
They added, "We would love nothing better than to see someone else live out a dream on our special corner."
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