Local flower shops debate re-opening Friday

BAKERSFIELD, CA — Governor Newsom announced 'Phase 2' will begin this Friday, May 8. The next step would allow clothing stores, book stores, flower shops, and sporting goods to open with modifications.

23ABC reached out to local flower shops to see if, even with the anticipated announcement, they feel ready to completely re-open to the public.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," said Dawn Baumgarten, Owner of Log Cabin Florist. "I'm taking it one day at a time."

"We are going to open as soon as we are allowed to open I won’t delay it an extra day," said Gabriel Kaehler, Owner of Bakersfield Flower Market. "I will follow the guidelines, but I won’t delay it not even an hour."

The uncertainty leading up to this week has caused flower shops to take leaps of faith in order to be prepared for the Mother's Day weekend.

“For about three weeks now we’ve just been doing no contact deliveries," said Baumgarten. "This week the governor told us we can open for business, but it’s kind of sketchy as to how we’re opening for business."

“I had to make a choice.. Do I want to do mothers day or not?" said Kaehler. "I decided to order my flowers. I took a huge gamble ordering 40% of my flowers weeks ago."

Even with the re-opening of flower shops, they will suffer great loss this Mother's Day weekend.

“Even though we are opening up Friday, we are looking at 60% down on sales just from the get go," said Kaehler.