Do you have a few minutes? We’d like to tell you a story about a charming flower shop called Thyme Studio.
Recently, we were feeling some Mother’s Day/flower-y type vibes around the office, wondering, what’s the feeling out there, what are people thinking of getting their moms, what should WE get our moms… you know.
The story of Thyme Studio
Time for some research, we thought. (This being a clever excuse for out-of-the-office time spent wandering around flower shops, admiring gorgeous blooms, etc.) Anyway, out the door we went, for some Very Important Flower Shop Research.
Our Very Important Research resulted in some pleasant floral exploration, and ultimately to a wonderful shop called Thyme Studio. We can be quite chatty when the mood strikes, so we asked the owners about their story — how they got into the flower business. Well. We were so charmed by their tale we decided we had to share it.
It all started with a wedding bouquet
Pre-pandemic (so, just about a century ago), Nas Neufeld and Kwan Rujira were working together at a bar. One day during a shift, Nas shared how frustrated she felt with the cost of a bouquet for her wedding. Kwan said, rather nonchalantly, it seems, “I can just make one for you if you want…”
This notion amazed Nas. (Indeed, she still seems amazed by it, in the tale’s retelling.) “I was like, wait, what? You can make a bouquet?” She knew nothing of this flower/bouquet world and couldn’t comprehend how someone could create a flower arrangement just… like… that. The bouquet Kwan created was so beautiful, Nas told her she should start a flower arranging business.
So, Kwan went ahead and did just that, starting a side business making bouquets while still working with Nas at the bar.
Flowers to the rescue
Then the pandemic hit, and Nas and Kwan lost their jobs, like many others. But! Flowers to the rescue! (Which should be said more often, in our not-at-all-biased opinion.)
Kwan and Nas decided, yes, the time was right to start a flower business. They began by launching a product they called Floret Boxes, a box of fresh-cut flowers people could order online to build their own bouquets at home. The timing was perfect — when everyone was on lockdown, their idea was a spectacular hit. “It essentially blew up, people loved it,” said Nas.
The creation of Thyme Studio
Not long after this, Stackt (a market in Toronto composed of shipping containers) reached out to offer Nas and Kwan a space to launch their store, Thyme Studio. The rest is history, and these days, they have two locations, one in the Stackt market, and another on Queen Street in Toronto.
We were in bliss checking out the Queen Street shop’s Fresh Flower Bar, where you can pick flowers from rows of possibility to build your own bouquet (which we did, happily). Nas and Kwan still also offer their ever-popular Floret Boxes, and arrangements of seasonably available florals.
Do yourself a favour and stop by Thyme Studio. It’s a lovely shop with a lovely story. Plus, as Kwan puts it — everyone deserves to have something beautiful and brighten up their day. See what we mean? Lovely.
