Drive-Through Florist Business Blooming

A man realizes he hasn’t bought flowers as he rushes home to celebrate his wedding anniversary. A woman suddenly thinks of buying flowers to take to her friend in the hospital.

No time to stop at a florist? Don’t worry. A husband-and-wife team has made it so that rushed flower-buyers don’t even have to get out of their cars.

ZoomBloomZ, what may be the nation’s first drivethrough floral service, has two kiosks in the Portland area. Owners Dennis and Jill Hayes dream of opening more in Salem, Eugene and Vancouver, Wash. After that, California and elsewhere.

Jennifer Sparks, a spokeswomen for the Society of American Florists in Alexandria, Va., said florists are trying all sorts of strategies to make their products accessible to customers. One such strategy is new outlets in supermarkets and garden centers.

The Hayes’ drive-through concept is the first Sparks has heard of. “It sounds like another opportunity to lend convenience to the consumer,” she said.

The kiosks are helping the Hayeses perfect the formula for their bigger floral dreams: fresh blooms, reasonable prices, no waiting, friendly service.