Business tips sought
Do you have an interesting story idea or news tip to share about a local business? Ideas can be shared with business reporter Grace Nieland at grace.nieland@thmedia.com or 563-588-5647.
Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-states. In addition to this update from Platteville, Wis., we will share additional developments in Tuesday’s edition.
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — During one of the most difficult times in Ellen Pinnola’s life, flowers gave her hope.
Pinnola, of Platteville, lost her son in 2019. The loss was devastating, she said, and it left her feeling dejected and unmoored. Looking for a place to focus her energy, she began to help out at her mother’s floral shop in northern Illinois.
There, she found a passion.
“I just fell in love with it,” Pinnola said. “It’s just an instant hit of dopamine to see those bright, beautiful flowers, and I could really get creative with the different designs and arrangements.”
Pinnola went on to open Sweet Violet Floral Boutique in 2020 in hopes of sharing that joy with others.
She initially ran the business as a mobile operation, specializing in arrangements for weddings and other special occasions. This month, however, Pinnola took the plunge and opened a brick-and-mortar location at 140 S. Water St. in Platteville.
She will continue to do custom arrangements for weddings and other events, she said, but the physical location will allow her to expand her services to include everyday arrangements, sympathy gestures and more.
“When we lost my son, we received bouquets and flowers, and it really just helped brighten our day and gave us a little bit of hope in a really difficult time,” Pinnola said. “With this (location), I can hopefully do the same for other people.”
The store’s floral offerings will rotate regularly to stock what is most fresh and in season, Pinnola said. In addition to floral arrangements, the store also will sell a variety of small gifts such as candles, clothing and cards with a focus on locally sourced products.
“If you’re looking for a friend’s birthday, the idea is that you could stop in and find everything you need here for a really nice present,” Pinnola said. “I just felt like there was a real void in Platteville for something like this.”
Sweet Violet Floral Boutique is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The store can be contacted by email at contact@sweetvioletco.com or by phone at 608-218-4430. More information is available online at sweetvioletco.com.