Herald Neighbors

Flowers by Mike sprouts up in Oceanside

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A new business is about to sprout in Oceanside as Mike Graham’s Flowers by Mike business is set to open this week at 221 Merrick Road.

“It’s great to be a part of a growing community,” said Graham, 33, who planned on opening the business on Jan. 16 or 17, after the Herald went to press. “It’s great to have a business in the community where I can know the local residents and get to provide fresh flowers and different items to the community.”

Graham is a lifelong Oceansider, and attended School No. 3, Oceanside Middle School and Oceanside High School. He has volunteered in the Oceanside Fire Department for more than 15 years, now serving as one of its commissioners, and is involved in many organizations, including Oceanside Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce. He lives in Oceanside with his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Rylie, 2.

Starting a business comes with many obstacles, Graham said, including heavy competition from places such as 1-800 Flowers and the internet, but he said he is excited to become a staple of the Oceanside community.

According to Graham, the shop will specialze in flower arrangements that are hand-arranged and hand-delivered to customers’ doorsteps. He added that the shop would create arrangements for weddings, funerals, anniversaries, birthdays and any other local event or milestone.

Graham said he worked at other flower shops for nearly two decades before deciding to start his own business. He said he is happy about the location because it’s near many other businesses and close to South Nassau Communities Hospital, where he said he hopes people will bring flowers to patients in need of cheering up. He noted that his goals are to provide quality customer service and help support local businesses in the community.

“I plan to be in this community for a long time and to serve Oceanside and the surrounding areas,” Graham said. “I want to bring back that small mom and pop feel that we’re starting to lose to bigger corporations. Getting people to support the small family business again is one of my biggest goals.”