“Bloom where you are planted” is age-old advice that Melissa Dawson inadvertently followed. She had been doing flowers for weddings and high-end events out of her house for 20 years when COVID hit. After the pandemic shut down most events, Melissa’s husband, Rob, suggested she open up a flower shop. “That’s not what I really wanted to do,” she admits. “I didn’t want to be tied to a brick-and-mortar storefront, and I didn’t want people to start associating me with [a floral network].”
Instead, the couple came up with a compromise: an interactive shop where people could design flowers with Melissa’s help. Their first shop, The Flower Bar—a subsidiary of her floral design business, What’s Up Buttercup LLC—opened in Rock Hill a year and a half ago. “Then, about eight months ago, we got this bright idea to put a wine bar in the flower shop, and that’s when things really took off,” says the self-taught florist. Wine slushies, customizable with 140 flavor combinations of seasonal fruits and simple syrups infused with a bouquet of different herbs and flowers, are the bar’s best sellers.
With Melissa handling the flowers and Rob relying on his years of retail experience to manage the bar as well as public and private events, the concept was an instant hit. Melissa, whose workshops in flower arranging have proved enormously popular, describes her style as “organic and bohemian.” “I like to take something and . . . make it look organic and flowy. I also like to use surprising elements, like putting vegetables in an arrangement for a chef.”
Success has spurred the Dawsons to branch out. Three new locations are planned this year, including one in Spartanburg, opening in May. Like the other shops, the Spartanburg Flower Bar will include a pickup-truck bed filled with seasonal flowers from local farms. “I wanted to increase awareness in our community of how beautiful the local flowers are,” says the Spartanburg native, who grew up picking flowers in her grandmother’s garden. “I’m so excited to be able to bring The Flower Bar back to my hometown.”
The Flower Bar, 449 E Main St, Spartanburg (in the UCB building, at the corner of Main & Pine); theflowerbars.com
Raspberry Mint Slushies
In a large glass or mixing glass, muddle ¼ cup of fresh raspberries with 2 sprigs of fresh mint. Add 2 Tbs. of simple syrup (recipe follows) and 12oz. of your favorite red wine. Put mixture in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag and place in freezer until it is “slushed.”
Pour slushie into a large wine glass, garnish with a fresh mint sprig, and enjoy.
Simple syrup
Put 1 cup of water and 1 cup of cane sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature before pouring syrup into an air-tight container. Simple syrup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
