After receiving approval from the Planning Commission on Dec. 15, Roxie’s Flower Truck will soon be building a Design Studio at 505 East St. The Winters Express talked with Roxie’s owner Kristen Karlen about what this new expansion will entail and what customers can look forward to in the future.
Karlen said the location is owned by the Karlen family and she’s been working out of it for about three years, but over the years the 70-plus-year-old building’s current condition has started to fall apart and the safety and curb appeal has declined.
“Over time as my business has grown so has my need for space, and something a little more secure and something safer,” Karlen said.
Karlen said she and her husband decided “it’s just time” and brought a plan for a new building on that spot to the Winters Planning Commission. According to Karlen, this plan — now approved and underway — is to “just demolish the entire building” rather than remodel or renovate “and start again.”
“We want to make it something that’s attractive, that is welcoming and multifunctional, and something that is safe,” Karlen said.
Regarding how long construction will last, Karlen said the old building is being demolished on Feb. 15 and once construction starts it will take about two weeks to build the new structure.
“It’s going to give us a lot more opportunities to do different things — my hope is that we can offer workshops, we are going to store Roxie inside, so that will be great for her — we can invite other artists or people who would like to have workshops to host them. I just see lots of space for opportunity,” Karlen said.
Karlen expressed that many people, including “the community in general and the neighborhood specifically,” have much to look forward to with this Design Studio, which only begins at being “a much more attractive, nice place to see, and just more aesthetically pleasing.”
Karlen hopes this space will help to express her appreciation for the Winters community, which she says “has been amazing at embracing Roxie’s Flower Truck” and hopes the support continues to give her more opportunities to serve the community with the Design Studio.
“We started Roxie’s Flower Truck with the vision of being able to spread joy through flowers, and I’ve been so grateful to our community because with open arms they ‘ve embraced this idea and this concept, and have just been so incredibly supportive, and I love that, and I hope to be able to give back to them with this bigger and better Design Studio,” Karlen said.
Karlen recently hosted wreath workshops at the Studio Collective.
Learn more information about her available services online at https://linktr.ee/roxiesflowertruck.
One can also get regular updates by following Roxie’s Flower Truck’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram @roxiesflowertruck.
