Hometown Flower Co. Coming To Huntington, Bringing 'More Unknown Varieties' Of Flowers

HUNTINGTON, NY — Hometown Flower Co. is set to open its first brick-and-mortar location on Saturday, the business announced. The storefront will be at 333 Main St., Huntington.

The mobile florist, owned by Jaclyn Rutigliano and Marc Iervolino, launched in 2019 as Long Island's first flower truck.

Rutigliano said it was "intentional" that the physical storefront's first day is set for Small Business Saturday.

"When we launched the brand, we did so on Mother’s Day because of the significance to the flower industry," Rutigliano said in a news release. "We’re doing the same thing now. We really believe in the power of a small town’s Main Street retail culture."

A third-generation florist, Rutigliano prides herself on doing things differently. Her "Flowers in a Bag" subscription gained traction during the coronavirus pandemic, and she and Iervolino played by their own rules, she said.

Inspired by the Slow Flower Movement, the couple source florals from Long Island farms, as well as New York and New Jersey greenhouses during the cold weather months, aiming to bolster the local economy while educating customers about the beautiful blooms that are available at home.

"The mobile pop up concept was really born from this idea of not being your traditional florist and being more sustainable, even from a business perspective," Rutigliano said. "We could test out new markets, create unexpected experiences, and keep our inventory tight."

The store will not display coolers out in the open, nor will there be a single fresh rose in sight.

"They're not grown in abundance here so we prefer to showcase the more unknown varieties that people can’t get everywhere," Rutigliano said.

She and Iervolino are on their way to developing a space for Long Islanders that focuses on experiences, she said. Their "studio" will play host to the brand’s well-known floral workshops as well as events, including children's birthday parties. One of the highlights of the new shop will be the brand’s DIY flower bar, which will rotate between dried flowers as well as fresh flowers when in season.

"Anyone is welcome to pop in off the street for a flower fix, or what we call 'flower therapy,'" Rutigliano said. "Get a serotonin boost while sipping your coffee surrounded by florals. Or tap into your inner creative by designing a bud vase or bouquet to bring home. It’s just a little something to disconnect with technology and reconnect with nature and art."

The opening will also be the kickoff of Hometown Holiday Workshop, a series of holiday DIY stations where people can create their own floral gifts, resulting in one-of-a-kind thoughtful items for loved ones. The store will also feature handmade, custom grab-and-go gifts, as well.

Eventually, Rutigliano would like to add a coffee and/or wine bar to really encourage people in the community to come in, grab a seat and immerse themselves in nature, even while "working on that Microsoft Excel file that’s been giving them nightmares."

The couple will also be looking to add floral adjacent items and gifts from other local makers, expanding its position as a community hub.

"We want to bring people in, but not in the traditional way you may have come to expect with flowers," Rutigliano said. "We want to do more workshops; we want to do artists in residencies; photo shoots- and so much more. Somewhere along the way we’ve all lost our connection to flowers and the people who grow and design them. They are not a mass produced commodity but rather mother nature’s paint brushes. And countless studies agree that when you surround yourself with nature, it is immensely beneficial for mental health. Our goal is to create unique experiences that bring people in and experience this firsthand for themselves."