Appropriately enough, Edible Arrangements is a growth business.
Jerry Borodkin, who owns three area stores – in Avon, West Hartford, and Manchester – as a franchise with his wife and children, reports hand-sculpted, fresh-fruit arrangements business saw 15 percent growth last year in the midst of a stale economy.
Nationally, the company has also experienced strong growth. In 2009, it opened 74 new stores and franchise agreements for more than 85 spots in the U.S. and internationally. Plus, it was recently honored by the International Council of Shopping Centers as one of six winners of its 2010 “Hot Retailer” awards.
“People are changing how they spend money. They buy a lower-price base item but make it more extravagant,” Borodkin said.
Growth in his business has come from strong national branding. Borodkin said when he first opened in 2005, most of his business was local. Now, 50 percent of his business comes in Internet orders; 35 percent to 40 percent is in phone orders, and the remainder from walk-ins at his three locations.
Summer heat and spoilage are not huge factors in Borodkin’s business. He orders fruit daily to meet demand. Plus, two refrigerated vans make deliveries for the three stores. If a customer isn’t home, the drivers reach out to neighbors, bring the arrangements back, or leave them in cooler bags.
Local produce isn’t purchased for use at the store. Borodkin said Edible Arrangements has strict standards. “Everything we do is food safe,” he explained, including child safe plastic skewers (that are round not pointy) and safe plastic containers. “We’re ultra-conservative in making sure we’re extra safe. We don’t do anything with local produce because we can’t take that chance.”
Borodkin’s Edible Arrangements stores are located at 304 W. Main St., Avon; 282 Park Road, West Hartford; and 290 Broad St., Manchester.
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Carbone’s Ristorante, a Hartford institution with a history of 70-plus years in business, formed a partnership with the Travelers Championship to add “local flavor” to the food operations at this year’s event. Carbone’s, owned and operated by three generations of the Carbone family, teamed up with national food service company Aramark in providing food service for all of the Travelers Championship hospitality venues and private parties.
“It’s been an exciting and challenging process, developing menus that are in keeping with our original recipes, but make sense for a large food service operation. We have had a great experience collaborating with Aramark,” said Vinny Carbone.
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Rumors were so rampant it was closing its Middletown location, Destinta Theatres held a press conference to announce the signing of a new, 10-year contract. At the conference, Larry Haber, CFO of the Destinta Theatres chain, reaffirmed his company’s commitment to downtown Middletown and its location in Metro Square.
The chain negotiated the lease of its building, which formerly housed a Shop Rite supermarket, in 1998 and opened its Middletown location in April 1999. Destinta invested $6 million in its Middletown theatre’s construction. It recently signed another 10-year contract with five, five-year options on its downtown location.
“I am very pleased with the business model in the city of Middletown and the great support of the residents of the Central Connecticut Region,” Haber said.
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Tea Roses Tea Room had a grand opening on June 22 at the business’s location at 322 Main St., Cromwell. The tea room features loose-leaf teas and light lunches. Tea Roses also features a book nook with inspirational readings, local authors, gift books, hand-crafted bookmarks, and gently used books. It supports local artists by selling their paintings, jewelry, candles, greeting cards, etc. Also, Tea Roses Tea Room features various tea and tea accoutrements for sale.
Keith Griffin’s retail column runs every other week in the Hartford Business Journal. Submissions can be e-mailed to him at: kgriffin@HartfordBusiness.com.
