San Diego Florist Supply

Early in his career Gene Willis was a CPA and San Diego Florist Supplies was one of his accounts. Gene received a promotion with the accounting firm but that would entail moving to Oklahoma, and there was no way he was doing that. Instead, he became a full-time partner with the San Diego Florist Supplies and five years later he took over the business.

In 1982, Gene relocated the business from India Street to El Cajon Boulevard. They were in need of a larger space and the warehouse located at 2550 El Cajon Boulevard was a perfect match. Gene's fondest memories of the Boulevard revolve around the restaurants. He likes to compare this area to the center of a wheel because it serves as a central access point to most areas in San Diego. This warehouse is the main distribution center for five other branch locations in Southern California and Nevada, which makes this location key for their delivery service.

Most are surprised to hear that San Diego Florist Supplies sells everything but fresh flowers. When the business first opened in 1973, most of the flower growers were located in California, so it didn't make sense to sell them because florists bought directly from the source. Like most business, the flower market moved oversees and now most farmers are located in South America. San Diego Florist Supplies is one of the few floral suppliers around the country that solely focuses on florist supplies.

As the owner of San Diego Florist Supplies, Gene saw this as a great opportunity to introduce his children to the world of business. All four children started working at the age of 12 and continued through college. Today, Gene and his two sons run the business. One of his son's, Scott, appreciates working in the family business for several reasons. As a teenager, the free lunches were a great motivation, but as a he gained experience, Scott began to appreciate the flexible schedule and opportunity to learn all aspects of the business. In fact, it's apparent that he's gone beyond just learning the business. Scott is focused on expanding their operation, because according to him, "If you aren't growing and reaching out to new markets, you're shrinking." Those are great words of advice from a local business owner that has been around for 35 years!

Address: 2550 El Cajon Boulevard

Rudford's

Rudford's
2900 El Cajon Blvd

Yelper:Rudford's is absolutely spectacular. Great food that I've tried, and now I always end up going for the club sandwich, simply because it's great and it's always made well. But everything I've tried there, after going for several years, has never let me down. Always inexpensive, always open, always fun waitstaff (a very underrated component of this place), always reliable food makes this place an easy 5 star rating.

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Halloween Costume Comedy Bash at the Lafayette Hotel

Lafayette Hotel located in San Diego's North Park neighborhood will be celebrating Halloween in a funny way this year. Welcoming a partnership with "FUNNY AIN'T A THANG COMEDY SHOWCASE" headed up by entrepreneur promoter Rich Stanley, the Hotel will open the Famous Mississippi Room to a motley crew of comedic entertainers from all walks of life. On Friday October 31, 2008, guests are invited to arrive in costume for a hilarious contest judged by the comedians. The hotel's popular local hang out L Bar and Grill will provide live DJ entertainment with DJ Alvin to wrap up the night. Free stuff, cash prizes, gift certificates and drink specials throughout the evening. Doors open at 8:00 for dinner specials. Comedy Show starts at 9:00 with dancing until 2am. Limited VIP seats available Call the Comedy hotline at 619-581-1289 for ticket prices and details and visit www.lafayettehotelsd.com and type in promotional code HALLOWEEN for a special overnight rate.

Happy Hour with Eclipse Chocolat

Choco-friends and -philes! Our Wine and Beer is finally here. Join us for our Exotic Truffle Happy Hour!

Each weekday from 4-7pm, leave the hustle and bustle of your business day and stop in for a confectionery respite. During these hours, each alcohol purchase comes with a free artisan truffle of your choice. We've even organized all of our wines with chocolate pairing suggestions, so all you need to do is show up ready to indulge.

Featured Utility Box

Crol, a well-acknowledged public artist around San Diego, focuses on understanding his surroundings and creating a connection with the community through his art. In this piece, Crol depicted culturally significant Vietnamese icons such as the lotus flower and water buffalo. The painted utility boxes located in front of Saigon honor the contemporary Vietnamese culture along El Cajon Boulevard and commend this local establishment which is always busy with people enjoying their vast menu, fantastic pho, huge portions and great prices.