In honor of the second anniversary of OTBKB, here’s another post from two years ago. This one from September 23rd 2004, just weeks after Zuzu’s Petals Seventh Avenue store burned down. Two years later, Zuzu’s Petals is back in business on Fifth Avenue and on Berkeley Place. Lorraine and Fonda learned how beloved they are in this community when Park Slope came to their aid after the fire. A key angel/helper at that time was Jackie Connors, who died in the past year. She was on the scene within hours of the fire and helped out every way that she could. The corner of President Street and Seventh Avenue has been officially named Jackie Connor’s Corner. (picture of the new Zuzu’s Petals on Fifth Avenue by Frank Lynch from Flickr).

On the way home from the office, Smartmom spotted Lorraine, the exotic
looking woman wth reddish hair from ZUZU’s PETALS selling
flowers and potted mums in front of BLUE APRON on Union Street, the insanely good gourmet shop. As everyone probably
knows, there was a terrible fire in the kitchen of OLIVE VINE on
Seventh Avenue that spread to the Korean market on one side and to the
beloved ZUZU’s PETALS on the other. Smartmom has heard rumors that
ZUZU’s Minabird died in the fire. Fortunately, her dog, Bear, was at
home at the time of the fire and is doing just fine.

The gate
in front of ZUZU’s burned-out storefront is full of heartfelt notes to
Zuzu from loyal Park Slope customers and a very touching note by Zuzu
herself written just after she found out that her store, which has been
in existence for over 30 years, had been destroyed by fire.

Smartmom
bought a gorgeous bouquet of blue delphiniums and chartreuse roses and
felt like she was doing a good deed spending TOO MUCH on flowers, to
support ZUZU’S PETALS. Great news: Zuzu has found a new location on
Fifth Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Street where she will continue to
feature the most beautiful (and overpriced) flowers and plantings this
side of Flatbush. Turns out Zuzu is NOT the owner of ZUZU’S PETALS. The
owner’s name is Fonda and Smartmom isn’t even sure what she looks like.
Zuzu gave Smartmom a big hug and said, "You should know better than to
think that the person who’s in the store all the time is the owner!"

–OTBKB, September 23, 2004

n.co