Zelek Flower Shop of Lorain is proudly celebrating 75 years in business. Founded in 1951 by Pete and Sylvia Zelek at the corner of 12th and Reid, the shop has been a downtown Lorain staple ever since. Today, their daughter, Mary Zelek, carries on their legacy at the current location, 1001 Reid Avenue, where the business moved to in 1967.

“We are so proud to have remained locally owned, family owned, and rooted in downtown Lorain for 75 years,” said Mary. “My parents started this shop in what used to be a gas station and grew it into one of the largest and most successful gift and floral shops in the region.”

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Pete and Sylvia were innovators in the industry. Their original store even offered a drive-in concept for customers. Later, they designed a florist basket that was sold nationwide, and they expanded the current building to include a lower-level “mini-mall” of specialty shops. “The Mini-Mall is still going strong and offers a huge variety of gifts and décor items,” Mary explained. While floral arrangements for weddings, funerals and special events remain a mainstay of the business, the gift and décor inventory is among the largest in the county. 

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Mary and the shop support the community in many ways – including by sharing their time and talent (and lots of flowers!) with Second Harvest Food Bank, Lorain County Health & Dentistry, and the Lorain Historical Society.