ATHOL – About nine months ago, Pat and Diane DiPietro took ownership of Flowerland, a downtown Athol flower shop that has served the community for many years. The couple had high hopes for the business, combining it with Tintagels Gate, a neighboring business they have owned for several years, described as a “medieval, magical, and metaphysical shop.”
Things had been going fairly well for the small business owners; then the coronovirus pandemic struck and business took a decided downturn.
Asked, as the new owners of popular local establishment, how they are dealing with this setback, Pat DiPietro said, “Now, we’re just doing what we can do. You can’t be depressed about it. You can’t be angry about it. You just have to try and help people around you. That’s the reason we have the shop here; to help the people around, to help the town.”
To that end, the DiPietros decided they would empty their flower cooler, make arrangements, and donate them to Athol Hospital, and the Athol police and fire departments
“We were sitting at home because we closed the shop for three days,” said Pat, “and as we were sitting at home, we said, ‘You know what? We have a lot of flowers here that are eventually going to go by the wind, so let’s call around and see if we can help somebody.”
He said the couple first contacted Quabbin Valley Healthcare, but were told the long-term care facility isn’t accepting arrangements at this time.
“So, we called the hospital and asked if we could do something for them,” DiPietro continued. “So, Diane made some masks for the hospital and we came in here and put together arrangements, single vases with carnations and other flowers in them, and made them for the nursing stations. Then we put some together for the police and fire departments.”
While the donations did much to boost the DiPietros psychic well-being, there’s still the practical matter of trying to keep the business alive until the pandemic subsides.
“We don’t have much money because we just bought the building,” said DiPietro. “We just bought the business in July, so money’s been going out the door like anything as we try to make improvements. So, it’s just a matter of keeping the faith that the whole world with get through it. Bust basically, there’s no income coming in.”
DiPeitro said this is a tough time to be closed. While fewer arrangements are being ordered for funerals, which have no season, April, May, and June would normally be busy as folks buy flowers for Easter, Mother’s Day, and for weddings. But even matrimonial events are on hold pending end of the crisis.
“It is what it is,” DiPietro said. “We’re not making any money. It’s just an extreme circumstance that, hopefully, everybody can get through.”
He pointed out that he and his wife are not alone; all downtown businesses are facing the same dire circumstances.
Currently, Tintagels Gate and Flowerland are taking orders by phone and offering free delivery. Hours of operation may vary in response to the pandemic, but the DiPietros can be reached at (978) 249-3057.