My Aunt Donna was one of the wisest & most resourceful people. She was a rock of support and I miss her every day. “Make it Happen” might be the thing she most frequently told me. I suppose it became a bit of my mantra. She also said, “Fall down nine times, get up ten.” As a small business owner, I think she might have had the quantities off a bit, but the concept is spot on.
There have been ups & downs for Andrew’s Garden (especially during COVID!), and Andrew & I can’t believe how far we’ve come since 2009! I never imagined we’d grow this much and have so many members on our AG Team! With every challenge, we always seem to come out stronger on the other side. So, it is with some sadness, but lots of determination to get up again even stronger, that Andrew & I announce that we are closing the doors of our sweet Naperville shop. Some parts of our journey in Naperville have been great and will continue, but some parts are just not quite the right time or place.
Not to worry! Our Wheaton shop is stronger than ever, and our Events are off to an amazing start in 2022. You won’t see many changes there, except for a few new faces & the ever-constant evolution of our flagship store. As for Naperville, we will still deliver flowers (including floral subscriptions!) in our expanded Naperville delivery area, and we will continue to partner with our new business friends in Naperville for special events & AG Design Classes. In short, Andrew’s Garden not disappearing completely from Naperville, we just won’t have a beautiful shop to walk into right now. We must be smart about our business and protective of our AG Team. Even though our regular schedule will be missing a few of our Team members, we plan to have them back for busy holidays & events. We know we will continue to grow, so we will make a place for them.
Thank you for understanding as we work though this big change. We are sad, disappointed, & frustrated, but we know this is the right decision for right now. There was another thing my Aunt Donna liked to say, “Change does not roll in on wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle, and so we must straighten our backs & work.” We are all better for opening the Naperville shop. We will take these lessons with us and continue to Make It Happen for Andrew’s Garden. Thank you for being with us along the way.
–Tonya, Andrew, and our very special AG Team
