Courtesy of Flowers for Dreams
Flowers for Dreams bouquet at Spyhouse Coffee
When co-founder and CEO Steven Dyme of Flowers for Dreams talks about “craft flowers,” he’s not referring to DIY paper flowers made from construction paper or coffee filters. He’s talking about a burgeoning sub-genre of the artisanal craft industry, sandwiched somewhere between craft coffee and craft chocolate: Seasonal blooms sourced directly from local growers to kitchen island. Bouquets that are artfully messy and intentional in impact—with a quarter of all profits going to social justice causes in communities that can use some extra help.
Flowers for Dreams was devised as a counter to the 1-800-Flowers.coms of the world who, Dyme says, haven’t been particularly revolutionary in meeting the expectations of the younger generations. When it comes to pretty things, Millennials and Gen Zers aren’t just starry-eyed about aesthetics, they want something that promises purpose, convenience, and no strings attached.
“With those bigger box flower brands, the common experience is being seduced into a bouquet advertised as $19.99, but then you add a balloon or teddy bear and factor in delivery fees,” he says. “We’re local, so it looks like [your arrangement] is picked from a farm in how it’s packaged together, and we’ve included stories you can read about the farmers that assembled them. We’re trying to bring a natural twist to these stuffy, 1990s-type options.”
Flowers for Dreams serves in the markets of Milwaukee, Chicago, and just recently, Minneapolis. After buying an old, run-down bus and turning it into a flower workshop on wheels last year, the folks at Flowers for Dreams drove it around the Midwest and stumbled upon Spyhouse Coffee where Dyme noticed an overlap in customers. “We always thought it would be cool to have a coffee and flowers pop-up … there’s something like that in New York, but nothing like it in the Midwest,” he says. “It makes sense—the typical coffee enthusiast aligns with your green thumb and flower lover.”
Flowers for Dreams set up shop at Spyhouse’s HQ (corner of Broadway and Central), with flowers available at all six locations throughout the Twin Cities, creating a one-of-a-kind cafe experience of pairing coffee with flowers. Through November, patrons can grab their joe and some blooms to-go, or take part in a number of floral design workshops. “We have ‘Minne’ bouquets arranged in little troughs at any of our locations,” he says. Flowers for Dreams serves most parts of Minnesota, and makes deliveries daily. The brand is looking to expand its reach throughout the Midwest and become a permanent fixture in the Twin Cities.
“We’re trying to find amazing, small and local charities across Minneapolis—if you know of one or are one, you can drop a business card in the tin can at the Northeast location, or apply online on our foundation’s website,” says Dyme. To date, Flowers for Dreams has donated $1M to 150+ charities from craft flowers sales.
