Del Mar Floral & Gifts may be closing up shop in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center, but they are not going far. The longtime floral and gift store will stay in the shopping center through Valentine's Day and then open at its new location in the Carmel Country Plaza on March 1.
"We want to make it clear we're not going out of business; we are not going away," owner Anne Engert said.
Del Mar Floral & Gifts will move next door to the former Ming Court restaurant, which will soon be a Katana Sushi restaurant. Carmel Country Plaza is located on the corner of Del Mar Heights and Carmel Country Roads.
"Luckily we found a place that's very close to our customer base," Engert said.
The Del Mar Highlands property management company Donahue Schriber opted not to renew Del Mar Floral's lease, although Engert said she wanted to stay.
Elizabeth Schreiber, Highlands' property manager, said the company continues to work on the beautification of the shopping center, having completed customer surveys last year.
"We are working on our renovation plans and we do have some ideas on how to reconfigure that area (the Del Mar Floral & Gifts location)," Schreiber said. "We're not far enough along to announce (our plans) yet."
Schreiber said community input has been clear that shoppers want an improved traffic flow in the center and the area around the Del Mar Floral space could factor into the plans for improved traffic flow.
Schreiber said she hopes to present the results of the customer input surveys to the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board at its Feb. 9 meeting. She also hopes to have some elevation and site plans for the beautification project finished by spring.
Engert said she is happy that their March 1 move date will allow them to stay through Valentine's Day, a very busy time for florists.
Del Mar Floral has been in the Del Mar Highlands shopping center for 17 years, although the original owners began selling flowers in the area in the 1970s.
Engert has been with Del Mar Floral since 1992, starting as a manager and eventually buying the company. She still works as a floral designer, making arrangements for customers who have been loyal over the years, she said.
To all those loyal friends and customers, Engert said, "Come see us at our new place."
As of March 1, Del Mar Floral's address will be 12750 Carmel Country Road, Suite A110. The phone number will stay the same: (858) 755-0303. Visit DelMarFloralandGifts.com.
Karen Billing Karen is a staff writer. She can be reached by e-mail.
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