According to tipster Elena K., birch—the flower shop on Hayes and Laguna—is set to close its doors at the end of the month.
"After having had great success opening and running birch as a retail shop for the past decade, it is with a hint of bittersweetness that I inform you that June 30th will be that last day of birch in its retail form," store owner Torryne Choate wrote on her website.
A store closing sale will start on June 17th.
Choate decided to close the shop because she has "accomplished what I set out to do." The showroom enabled her to get to know her customers and work with clients ranging from high fashion (Alexander Wang, Bulgari, Vogue, Elle Decor) to food (Blue Bottle) and tech (Google).
But while birch may be closing, it won't be the last time fans will hear from the Hayes Valley flower store.
"Birch will now operate as a floral and design studio, meaning that birch will continue to provide all of its floral services without a storefront," Choate told us. She added that she will continue to operate out of Hayes Valley, where she has been a resident for 26 years.
"Branching out into creating a line of signature ceramic vases as well as taking on several photography projects, birch will continue to grow creatively," Choate wrote. She will also focus on side projects, such as private workshops and pop-ups at "SF’s coolest retail spaces" in the fall.
Other plans include daily deliveries throughout the Bay Area, corporate and restaurant accounts, parties and other events, as well as photo styling.
Having a store for a decade also gave Choate the opportunity to be a close observer of the neighborhood.
"The amount of change that has occurred in the past five years has been staggering," she told us. "Hayes Valley has lost several of its original shops, which were all independently owned and operated."
Choate said that these unique shops were at the core of building Hayes Valley into the destination shopping district that it has become.
"Unfortunately, only a handful of these pioneering retail shops remain due to insanely overpriced rental increases, and lack of affordable retail space," she noted.
Hayes Valley residents can continue to reach out to Choate for all their flower needs by calling 415-205-8514, or by emailing [email protected].
