Couple to keep service and quality, add own touch at Bortmas
Once slated to close, a Butler downtown staple business now has a bright future ahead.
Bortmas, The Butler Florist, was scheduled to lock its doors for the final time this summer upon the well-deserved retirement of its owner and operator of 40 years, Ed Bloom.
But the legions of customers who were devastated at Bloom’s announcement can perk up their petals, as another longtime Butler business owner has taken over ownership of the florist on West Wayne Street.
Larry and Cindy Steffen of Clinton Township, who have owned Summit Dairy Queen Grill & Chill on Route 356 for 30 years, have bought Bortmas and are in training at the shop.
Larry is a regular customer at Bortmas, having bought Cindy flowers once a week for many years.
“We love their quality and their store and the people who work there,” Cindy said.
When Larry went to buy Cindy a bouquet in June, he was told it would likely be his last, as the store was closing.
“He came home and told me, and from then, things got up and running,” Cindy said.
“I just always enjoyed coming down here and thought it was an interesting business, and my wife and I always had an interest in flowers and gardening,” Larry said.
After Bloom and the Steffens came to an agreement on the sale, Larry and the couple’s daughter, Malia, as well as a friend of Malia’s, have been studying hard to learn the ropes of a florist business.
“We’ve been taking classes from a couple instructors suggested by Ed, and he is staying on until the end of the year, so I’ve been shadowing him,” Larry said.
He feels once Ed retires, his family will be ready for the weddings, funerals, proms, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, and other events that keep the shop hopping.
“The whole staff is staying, and they are top notch,” Larry said. “They are teaching me just as much as Ed is.”
Cindy is glad Malia is highly interested in the business, as well.
“It’s nice because we have always had an interest in gardening and plant care,” Cindy said.
The couple said Bloom has been invaluable to them as they assume the reins at Bortmas.
“The man is very knowledgeable, not just with flower arranging, but with vendors and contractors and the trends people love to see,” Larry said. “He’s been very transparent and very helpful with the transition.”
She added that the family was ready to move on since opening Summit Dairy Queen in 1992.
“We’ve done one thing for so long, we were ready to make a change in direction,” Cindy said.
While the couple respects Bloom’s talent for floral design and aptitude for running a business, they want to raise local awareness regarding the shop’s location across Wayne Street from the Butler Post Office.
“We want to make the store our own, refresh the appearance and really make it visible in the downtown community,” Cindy said. “We’ll look at the inside and outside and rebrand it to make it something not only for people who have been shopping there for 40 years, but something that will attract young people, too.”
The Steffens plan to expand the cash-and-carry end of the shop and focus on adding their own special touch to wedding flowers.
“But one thing is for sure: I don’t ever want people to come in and say ‘You are not providing the quality and service Ed provided,’” Cindy said.
The couple also hopes to continue the community partnerships Bloom has engaged in, like his longtime support of the Butler County Humane Society. Bloom provided the flowers for the society’s annual Fur Ball for many years.
“We want to continue the community relationships he has built over time,” Cindy said.
She said after Ed retires, Larry will handle operations and the front counter, while Cindy, who is employed full-time elsewhere, will focus on merchandising and redesigning the store’s interior and exterior.
The shop’s annual Holiday Open House, a continuing tradition, will be from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Light refreshments will be served.
The sale of Summit Dairy Queen will occur at the end of the month, so new owners will take over that business, the Steffens said.
