At the corner of LaSalle and Superior, LaSalle Flowers has been a staple for generations of Chicagoans since 1936. So when the owner was ready to sell the business, another long-time florist --Ashland Addison Florist and Flower Delivery-- step in. Justin Sheffield is the 4th generation owner of the family business which started back in 1932.
"Margo was the previous owner of LaSalle. She ended up approaching us. It was a great partnership," says Sheffield who adds, "Lasalle has such a great location. The brand, the street and the sign are just iconic."
Sheffield understands the value of that kind of legacy because it's similar to his own family's story.
"It basically all started with my great grandparents who were orphans," he explains about the humble beginnings of his family's florist business.
During the Great Depression, to make ends meet, his great grandfather, S. Roy Sheffield, would transport flowers from greenhouses and flower growers on Chicago's far north side and near north suburbs into the city.
Sheffield says the farms didn't have a lot of cash to pay people, so they paid his great grandfather in flowers.
"He'd take the flowers. He'd make little bouquets, and then he would sell them at the corner of Ashland and Addison. At the time that was a busy street car intersection so there was a lot of traffic," explains Sheffield.
And that's how Ashland Addison Florist and Flower Delivery began. Roy Sheffield's sons took over the business in the 60s, and then their sons did the same in the 80s.
"My dad expanded the business. He moved us to warehouse model where we have retail stores, but we also have a larger location where we can facilitate more logistics, bigger shipments, stuff like that," says Sheffield.
Eventually Justin Sheffield took the helm of the family business, and he says adapting to the changing times has been the key to their success and longevity.
"Our quality and our design and artistry has to be there for sure, we have to be better than the cheaper flowers you can find anywhere. I think it's also a level of service, just being able to deliver same day and deliver pretty much to the entire Chicagoland area," says Sheffield who adds, "We're diverse in terms of our business. We do everyday stuff. We do birthdays, sympathy and funerals, weekly deliveries, wholesale wedding and events."
And he hopes that success continues for generations of Sheffields to come.
"I want to continue growing and being a trusted florist," says Sheffield who adds with a smile, "life's too short not to have some flowers in your house so bring some flowers home and send some to the people you love."
Ashland-Addison's Florists and Flower Delivery, Made in Chicago.
