A RICH HISTORY
Lee’s Flower and Card Shop Inc. was founded in 1945 at 918 U Street NW by William and Winnifred Lee.
Winnifred & William Lee (1940’s)
William met Winnifred while he was traveling through Montreal,Canada as a Pullman Porter on the railroad. A short time after marrying, the couple migrated with their son Richard S. Lee to D.C. At the time of founding, Lee’s Flower and Card Shop was in the heart of the U Street Corridor, which was often referred to as ‘Black Broadway’. The U Street Corridor was the epicenter of black business, art, education, and entertainment.
The flower shop moved to 1026 U Street NW in 1968 just before the Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination and subsequent riots. Richard and his mother Winnifred spent the night in the flower shop to safeguard the business. They put a ‘Soul Brother’ sign in front of the shop to deter looting.
Richard Lee has been featured in news specials and the Washington Post sharing his experiences at the flower shop before, during, and just after the riots.
After the 1968 riots, the U Street Corridor was the center of urban blight. The passage of civil rights legislation allowed African Americans to shop in downtown areas where they were not previously welcomed. From 1968 to 1983 the area went through an economic depression.
Lee’s Flower Shop entrance in the 80’s during construction of the Metro
In 1984, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced the building of the Metro Green Line. The Metro construction had an enormous impact on Lee’s Flower and Card Shop. Road closures and construction barricades eliminated foot traffic (pictured right). However, Lee’s Flower and Card Shop was able to sustain because the majority of business was done over the phone in those days.
The completion of the Metro in 1991 spurred enormous economic growth within the U Street Corridor, new businesses and high-end housing became the norm.
Fourth generation Lee, Joi Tyler
In 2012, Richard Lee retired and allowed his daughters Stacie Lee Banks and Kristie Lee Jones to purchase the flower shop from him. This third generation of Lees embraced the rapidly changing economy. They understood the importance of social media, digital marketing, and creating a unique customer experience.
The sisters created the wildly successful Flower Power Happy Hour. Every Friday from 3PM-7PM customers enjoy 50% off fresh cut flowers and 20% off all house plants.
Flower Power Happy Hour was voted Best Non-Alcoholic Happy Hour in 2018 by the Washington City Paper.
In 2015, Lee’s Flower and Card Shop was awarded the Great Streets Grant. The grant was intended to be used for a small renovation but after seeing renderings the co-owners found it necessary to borrow additional funds to enhance the scope of the project.
The project took nine months to complete and the business remained open throughout the entire renovation. In April 2017 Lee’s Flower and Card Shop had a Grand Reopening celebration attended by Mayor Muriel Bowser. The Mayor presented the shop with a letter of congratulations and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Radical Elite Show Band provided entertainment.
After the Grand Reopening, Lee’s Flower and Card Shop had issues with vandalism on the side of the building facing the alley. Kristie Lee Jones, General Manager and Co-Owner, came up with the idea to cover that side of the building with a mural to deter vandalism (see the before and after pictures below).
Back of Building Before (with vandalism)
Finished Mural
Mural Reveal with Mayor Muriel Bowser on Small Business Saturday (November 2017)
The mural was a collaboration between D.C Murals and the D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities. Artist Kaliq Crosby completed the work in two weeks, just before the reveal on Small Business Saturday. At the reveal, Mayor Bowser made a speech and joined the family in the ribbon cutting. There has been no vandalism since the completion of the mural.
The fourth generation of Lees are growing up in the shop and learning the business.
2020 marked the 75th year in business for Lee’s Flower and Card Shop. The family originally planned on having a large celebration involving customers and the community (ex. A new logo and t-shirts were designed). The celebration was postponed in March 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown. The Lees went from planning a large celebration to figuring out how to stay in business.
During the lockdown, the flower shop furloughed a majority of the staff, shifted to deliveries only (no walk-ins), and worked with a skeleton crew.
In addition to difficulties brought on by COVID-19, Lee’s Flower and Card Shop was deeply affected by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others during the spring and summer.
The flower shop experienced (and continues to experience) an unexpected outpouring of support from the community in the form of increased business, exposure online, and words of encouragement.
Looking ahead, Lee’s Flower and Card Shop looks forward to continued steady growth and further expanding their support of other black/women owned businesses.
