Flower Vendors Working Overnight for Valentine's Day

Los Angeles Flower District markets stayed open 24/7 for Valentine's Day.

Some vendors kicked off their extended holiday hours as early as Wednesday, setting up shop before sunrise and working through the night.

"This is the second most important day of the year for us, after Mother's Day," said Mark Chatoff, President and CEO of the California Flower Mall. "We open for 40 hours straight, from 4 a.m. on Thursday until 9 p.m. on Valentine's Day."

Vendors in the six-block stretch of floral markets said the holiday shopping crowds and overnight shifts were "exhausting," but rewarding.

"It's fun because you meet a lot of people and you really get to support your business, but it's really tiring," said Irving Bravo, a vendor who has worked at the California Flower Mall on San Pedro Street for "pretty much [his] whole, entire life."

Bravo's father immigrated to the United States as a teenager and found work selling roses at a sidewalk flower stall in Downtown L.A. That stall is now a family business headquartered at the California Flower Mall. Bravo, his brother and his parents sell floral arrangements to large supermarket chains such as Whole Foods, but still rely on Valentine's Day foot traffic to boost sales.

"This holiday is so important for us because we only get two chances a year to make this much money in such a short period of time," explained Bravo. "I'll get three hours of sleep [each night], tops, but I want to continue my dad's business and help him out in any way I can."

The Flower District stretches from San Pedro Street west to Maple Street, and from Seventh Street south to Ninth Street. Valentine's Day customers came from every part of Southern California to purchase bouquets and floral arrangements for their loved ones.

"[My husband and I] came all the way out here from San Dimas to get roses," said Jennifer Serrano.

She left with a dozen bouquets of long-stemmed red roses and pink balloons for her daughter.

However, some men scoffed at the idea of picking out flowers themselves, and said they planned to order bouquets online instead of making a trip to the Flower District.

"I think [ordering online] is way easier," said Robert Dooley, a college student with an out-of-town girlfriend. "Even if my girlfriend lived in L.A., I would probably still get her Valentine's Day flowers online."

Aaron Wong, another student who lives less than five miles from the Flower District, cited safety as a primary concern.

"Buying flowers online is more convenient, and you don't have to risk going downtown to an area that's kind of sketchy," he said.

Ira Kalb, a Clinical Marketing Professor who was elected President of the Southern California American Marketing Association in 1995, agreed that online shopping can be more time efficient and is the most logical option for those in long-distance relationships. Still, he said ordering flowers online could never replace the experience of visiting a flower market in person.

"Some people want to touch and feel [what they're buying]," explained Kalb. "[They want to] actually physically look at the flowers and pick them out themselves."

Kalb called the Flower District's extended hours a "great business decision," and reminded men relying on flower delivery websites that online shopping isn't always reliable.

"They might not deliver on time, or the flowers could be in bad condition. Going to the flower market, picking out your flowers yourself and hand-delivering them? That's foolproof."