San Ramon Floral Business Enchants for Over 30 Years

Driving by on Alcosta Boulevard, you would have for sure passed by this lovely "little flower shop with all the flags."

For over 30 years, Enchanted Florist has been keeping up with all the super stores like Costco, Safeway, 1-800-Flowers, and Lucky. 

"The secret is the service. If you don't like, tell us what you like and we'll make it right," said Sharon Enea, owner of Enchanted Florist.

From the first shop she owned, she knew floral business is what she wanted to commit to. 

"My very first customer ever, came in and bought a $100 arrangement. That's when I knew they would just keep coming," explains Enea.

Enea started out in the floral arranging business in San Leandro where she hardly knew a thing about flowers or plants. 

"Plants were a big thing in the late '70's. I had a location right on E. 14 Street in San Leandro and it opened up originally as a plant store. I would stock our store up three times a week and at that time I knew nothing about plants." 

"Then a young girl came in looking for a part time job and she showed me the most beautiful bow and I hired her on the spot."

That young girl Diane Vadler, then, 17, continues to work side-by-side with Enea at the shop. 

By the time she decided to venture off to other cities, Enea had owned over five different locations including the shop in San Leandro, Danville, Richmond, Pinole, Livermore, and now San Ramon.

If keeping busy wasn't enough — she also owns a dance studio, East Bay Dance Company, which she goes to everyday after her work at Enchanted Florist.

"My job is to educate my customers on what they buy and make them happy. All of our roses come from Equador. We make sure we get the best roses. I explain how to take care of roses and which ones last the most. I tell them the difference between the long stem rose and a short stem," said Enea. 

While providing the best products to her customers, Enea is all too familiar with the needs of her customers as well.

"My favorites are the 'dog-house' boys. The ones who got in trouble. I don't know what they did, but they have that 'I've-been-a-bad-boy-can-you-help-me' look."

The shop offers specials everyday on the $12.99 premium equadorian roses— these are the shorter stem roses. All the roses are sold by stem length not head size, something that Enea says most people don't know.

Roses aren't the only thing Enea imports. The leis, which are popular during graduations, are imported from Thailand. 

Besides roses and plants, the quaint store holds quite a lot: Teddy bears, jewelry, purses, candles, bath products, soaps, fountains, plants, random knick knacks, and the boundless section of colorful flags.

The flags make up about 25 percent of the shops business and they're the first things you see when walking through the entrance. Smaller flags and sale flags are available as well.

Location seems to be a key factor of this floral shops thriving success. Before Enea moved into the shop, her husband spotted it from Alcosta as vacant and told her about it. 

While the obscure spot is tucked away between apartment buildings and a vacant lot on the corner, Enea knows the novelty of the stores' appearance appeals to her customers.

"The flags are special," adds Enea, "and all the neighbors in the apartment buildings around here— they say to me that they've been driving by the little shop with the flags for years and had no idea we existed." 

To order flowers, you may call Enchanted Florist at (925) 829-2157 or visit their website. The make local and worldwide deliveries.

-------

Follow San Ramon Patch on:
Facebook — facebook.com/SanRamonPatch
Twitter — twitter.com/SanRamonPatch

You can signup for San Ramon Patch's daily newsletter here: sanramon.patch.com/newsletters