Liquor & flower shop grand opening

Balloons hung outside, women received free roses and complimentary refreshments covered two tables last Friday as the Garden Gift and Floral/Plains Liquor Store celebrated it's grand opening.

New owners Pamela Lynch, a retired certified public accountant, and Patty Coe, a retired waitress and cook, bought the flower and liquor shop from Becky McDonald, the former owner, this spring. Coe and Lynch said that they had started talking with McDonald about purchasing the business last February and finalized the agreement in May. Both Coe and Lynch live in Plains.

Lynch and Coe said that McDonald had wanted more time to do vacations with her family and they both had always wanted to own a flower shop, and so when the McDonald store listed for sale they jumped at the chance.

“We just kind of looked at each other and said let's do it,” Lynch said.

Coe explained that, for her, the shop would be a new venture and a challenge because she never had the opportunity to work in retail. Specifically, she said that she liked working with the flowers and gifts.

“You actually get to make something and people like,” Coe said. “It's instant feedback and that's real rewarding.”

She added that they were grateful McDonald stayed around for a month to help them learn how the business operated.

“We stepped into a turn-key business but didn't know which way the key turned,” she said, speaking about their first month getting the hang of things.

At the moment, the two say they're expanding trying to increase their inventory, to make it more comprehensive with a larger range of high and low-priced items so locals won't always need travel to Missoula to buy things.

“The biggest challenge and all is to be able to anticipate peoples needs,” Lynch said.

One aspect of anticipating needs is to plan far in advance for big events such as the Sanders County Fair, when the shop helps local bars with their liquor supplies. Lynch said that the shop is already preparing for Christmas five months ahead of time.

Another challenge for the two is coming back into the workforce after retirement and getting used to the daily hours required to run the shop. Unfazed by these small hurdles, Coe was optimistic and said that while the new venture will push her, it would also motivate her at the same time.

“I need something to do, if you don't live for today, tomorrow might not be there,” Coe said.

A big support for them has been their customers who they've said have given them suggestions for improvements and simple encouragement.

“The community has been very positive; people have said things like ‘I'm so tickled for you,' ” Coe said.

Lynch was equally impressed with the support that they had received from the community.

“Everyone who's walked through our doors has generally been in a good mood,” Lynch said.

Joann Mathers, who had dropped by the grand opening to see the new assortment of inventory and eat a few brownies, thought that the shop would be a good contribution to community.

“The new owners are good people and we like them a lot,” Mathers explained. She also said that she liked the great variety of price ranges in the store.

Coe said that they're biggest hope is that they can do as well as McDonald did as she's been serving the community for so many years. “We're trying to keep her standard,” Coe said.