Willow Glen Resident

Business

Flower Flour continues to grow and delight as it adds crêpes, soups and wedding cakes

By Michelle Sklar

Tucked between the busy thoroughfares of Lincoln and Bird avenues on Willow Street is a one-of-a kind spot--Flower Flour.

The European-style café offers gourmet pastries, homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and crepes with a special touch, fresh cut flowers.

"This business is really a woman's dream, my dream, come true," says owner Mimi Brown, who blends her skills as an organic gardener, florist and decorator into the business.

"It is a fusion of two of my passions, flowers and elegant food."

Flower Flour opened several years ago, selling French pastries and fresh cut flowers. These two items, which inspired the cafe's name, continue to characterize the bakery, but Brown has expanded the offerings.

Stop by any morning and find, in addition to such pastries as Mango Tango, a tempting white cake and mango mousse delight, an expanded breakfast and lunch menu.

The cafe now offers two homemade soups daily along with crepes, sandwiches and salads. All of the offerings are fresh and reasonably priced between $4 and $7. Many of the customers are loyal local patrons, who appreciate the quality of the food and like supporting an independent business owner.

"I come by fairly often to pick up special goodies for my clients," personal chef Joe Rizzie says. "I love the feel of the café; it is cozy, and has a European flair that is absent in other chain establishments. The coffee is good, too."

On a recent Wednesday morning, two customers sit in a corner going over deadlines and enjoying coffee at one of the tiled tables while a young mom orders pastries with her two children.

"I live in the neighborhood and like to come in for breakfast treats," the young mother says. "I've also had a number of family members who have had their wedding cakes made here, and I can tell you that they taste as good as they look."

The wedding cakes are another part of the business that has grown since the shop first opened. The fit-for-a-queen multi-tiered cakes have been building a name for themselves.

"By early March, we already had 40 wedding cakes booked," Brown says.

Pastry chef Juan Garcia joined the business two years ago and has built on the early success of the pastry and cake business.

"We have been working with large hotels, local companies, top restaurants and wineries, providing their customers with the best we have to offer," Brown says. "We are now on the preferred vendor list of a number of special venues."

The custom cakes are visually stunning. One three-leveled chocolate cake has frosting ribbons cascading down the sides and an elegant, edible purse topping it all off.

The shop's unique pastries, cakes and ambiance can easily be missed if a customer is unfamiliar with the European bakery's location.

"Because we are not on one of the primary shopping streets in Willow Glen, we do not get a lot of walk-in traffic," Brown says, "so we really appreciate our growing relationships with outside sources such as the San Jose Museum of Art and Morton's Steak House, which call on us when they have a special event or VIP party."

Another hallmark of this charming shop is the environment and its seasonality. At this time of year, clever bunny cakes rest inside the pastry case while spring flowers brighten the cafe. Currently, the fruits featured in the fresh pastries include mango and lychee. In a few months, sunflowers, dahlias and strawberries will fill the shop.

"My business is a celebration of beautiful living," Brown says. "The beauty from outdoors, flowers and plants, create the beautiful backdrop inside my shop. When I bought this building, I made a long-term investment in this business. I knew I didn't want to be in a strip mall. I wanted to create a little oasis that was different from anything else around."

Flour Flower, 896 Willow St., on the corner of Willow Street and Curtiss Avenue, is open Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 408.279.0843.

Blossoming Business: Flower Flour owner Mimi Brown (above) has expanded her European bakery/cafe and fresh cut flowers to include wedding cakes and a gourmet selection of homemade soups and crepes.