A well-known Elmore County business officially opened its doors at a new location on Oct. 31.
After almost 65 years at its former location in downtown Wetumpka, Austin’s Flowers and Gifts LLC moved to 8580 Holtville Road in Deatsville.
Powers said he started to consider moving Austin’s Flowers about a year ago, and made the final decision about three months ago.
Powers said saying goodbye to the old location was emotional, but he believes moving was the best decision for both his business and the growth of Wetumpka’s downtown area.
“We wanted to make room for what’s fixing to happen downtown. We wanted to reduce the overhead,” Powers said. “For our business, this seemed like the best thing.”
So far, manager Lauren Head said business has been “pretty good,” at the new location. While it’s attracted interest from new people, Head said they expect to still receive business from its regular clientele, who she described as 100 percent supportive of them.
Because there wasn’t a flower shop in the Deatsville prior to the arrival of Austin’s Flowers, Head said their presence has already drawn positive feedback from the community.
While Austin’s Flowers is no longer within Wetumpka city limits, Powers said he will remain invested in the downtown area’s development.
“It’s not like I’m abandoning Wetumpka’s downtown,” Powers said. “I’m with Main Street Wetumpka, and I serve on the board there. I plan to keep up with downtown Wetumpka and support them.”
