Those walking into Florology are immediately greeted by a fresh flower bar, where customers can experiment with different types of flowers to create one-of-a-kind arrangements.
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Florology also sells art and candles made by local artists and small businesses.
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When Tiffany Kuhar decided to open a storefront for her pop-up flower shop Florology, she knew there was nowhere else she’d rather put down roots than the Back Mountain.
“It’s just a whole community feel here. I’m a resident, my husband and I raised our children here and so it was important to me to find a location in the Back Mountain, which took a little while, but we’re in a really good spot now,” said Kuhar, 45.
The community has certainly welcomed Kuhar and her budding business with open arms because Florology was just named 2024’s Best New Business in the Best of the Back Mountain reader’s choice awards.
When Kuhar found out about the award, she was overcome with emotion.
“To be recognized by your community, the people that are your patrons, to know they’re supporting you, that they’re happy you’re there — it was a really warming feeling,” Kuhar said.
Being honored by the people she serves instantly justified all the hard work she’d put into getting her business off the ground.
“It really made all of the sacrifices worth it,” she said.
Florology, located at 2800 Memorial Highway in Dallas, is a full-service floristry that specializes in giving customers hands-on experiences when creating unique bouquets.
“When you walk in, the first thing you see is a flesh flower bar. That is the core, of the foundation, to the Florology business plan,” explained Kuhar.
Although the shop also sells ready-made bouquets, Kuhar encourages her customers to get involved in the design process themselves to create their own pieces of art to take home and display.
“I think it’s the one thing that sets Florology apart from the grocery store or any other florist,” said Kuhar.
Of course, she’s always available to assist her customers, especially if making a flower arrangement is something they’ve never done before.
“If you have an idea, but you’re a little bit nervous about creating it, I’m there to help you and walk you through the process. I share all of my tricks and hacks,” Kuhar explained. “They are learning throughout that process and the next time they come in, they feel more confident.”
The flower bar is usually sourced from local flower farmers. Kuhar even brings in flowers from her own garden.
“Obviously, pretty much from the middle of September and on it’s risky, but through the summer months we try our best to source locally,” she said.
Florology also sells art and candles made by local artists and small businesses. You can find great gift options there as well, and more will be in stock as the holiday season approaches.
Although Kuhar always had a passion for gardening, whether it was flowers of vegetables, it wasn’t until several years ago that she seriously considered turning that love into a career.
“At that point, I had four children who were in college or high school, and they didn’t really need me at home anymore,” she explained. “So, I found that this was an opportunity to kind of have some time for myself again. I very much loved being a stay-at-home mom, but I had this opportunity now to reinvent who I was.”
She had always told her husband that she would become a florist someday, but she confessed that it was more of a joke than anything else — she didn’t mean it.
“Then, I just had that ‘ah-ha’ moment of like, ‘Well, why don’t you mean it?’ I started to have clarity on who I was and what made me happy and I wanted to know what I could turn that into,” Kuhar said.
At the beginning of 2023, she signed herself up for a weeklong class at a floral design school in New York City, where she selected all of the areas she wanted to study, from arranging bouquets and boutonnieres to flower care and longevity.
After that crash course in floristry, she took her business on the road, popping up at local festivals and events.
“We started to get a following by having those opportunities to be within the community, all throughout Luzerne County,” she said.
Then, this past May, Kuhar took an even bigger step and signed the lease on a storefront.
“It’s been super-duper exciting ever since. A little chaotic at times because right at our grand opening, it was Mother’s Day, and then we went into prom season, so it was very busy, which we truly appreciate,” she said.
Knowing she had a solid customer base made transitioning to a brick-and-mortar location far less intimidating.
“People knew the name Florology. We had this following, and that made it a lot more comfortable, and I was confident in the decision,” Kuhar said.
Interacting with her customers on a daily basis has been her favorite part of opening Florology.
“I love getting to know everyone. I truly appreciate every person who comes through the door.”