Another Neighborhood Flower Shop

Last Saturday I found out what the plans are for the building at 1107 Marine Drive (see photo). When the new owners began fixing it up last month, my neighbor and I made some guesses but we weren’t even close. Sporting a fresh coat of green paint, a remodeled interior, and a new garage door, the building looks great. But no amount of remodeling will fix the site’s biggest problems: access and parking. Thus I was surprised to learn that Flowers To Go will be opening a shop there. The very name implies a business that depends on in-and-out traffic. Their decision is even more surprising because Paul’s Flowers recently moved into the strip mall at 3850 Kitsap Way next to Subway, just a stone’s throw away.

The new home for Flowers To Go is only a half block north of Kitsap Way, one of Bremerton’s busiest roads. Because traffic backs up often on Marine Drive while drivers wait for a green light, it can be difficult to exit the building’s small parking lot especially if you want to go north on Marine Drive. Lack of access hurt the other businesses that tried their luck in the building, most recently a cleaners. The other Flowers To Go shops in Kitsap County have drive-through windows, a feature impossible to put in at the Marine Drive location. Still Flowers To Go will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I hope they are successful.