Tell us a bit about yourself and your business.
Luna is filled with lovely plants, fresh cut flower bouquets, and many unique gifts for all of the people you love. We sought to fulfill a little niche downtown, a place filled with beautiful things that we would want to find while out exploring, and enjoying the neighborhood that we call home. We want to provide everyone who comes through our door a truly unique experience; whether it’s for a plant, gift, or just to chat, we hope they leave happier for having stopped by!
What made you decide to open your own small business?
Luna came to life after we learned a space would be opening up in the Oregon District of Downtown Dayton. The ‘we’ is our group of six longtime best friends, who also work together as photographers for Carly Short Photography and Wild Roots Photography. Our sister shop, Heart Mercantile, had just celebrated their one year anniversary. With a little bit of experience, hard-earned wisdom, passion for finding beautiful things, and an entrepreneurial spirit, we all jumped at the opportunity to open a new shop in the neighborhood we adore.
The initial concept was the easy part of the equation. The challenge was trying to figure out how we were actually going to make our dream shop happen while we juggled all of our other commitments, and how our families would survive without us in the meantime. We have 9 children between all of us-and hopefully more to come! Our families are our first priority, and we are grateful they are supportive and understanding of our passions, goals, and hard work.
We are also fortunate to have each other.
Tell us something about your business that may surprise people to learn.
While we consider the two shops “sisters,” Luna and Heart each have their own unique vibe, and offer completely different lines of goods and gifts. If you can’t find what you love at one shop, you’ll surely find it at the other; or both, we hope!
Where some might laugh about the likelihood of six women getting along, and effectively working together as equals, we believe it is our greater strength. We build each other up, divide and conquer tasks, and are truly there for each other in every realm of life. While making our dream shop a reality took a lot of strategizing, sacrificing, and late nights, we had each other through it all. Our bond is not only what got us through the opening process, but has made us the best of friends over many years. We are kindred souls who like making things happen: we dream big, never shy away from a challenge, and love what we do!
How is your business coping with the pandemic and how can people support you now?
Like most small businesses, we have struggled through the pandemic and seen our sales take a dive from the usual. We have done our best (with the assistance of our amazing employees) to adapt to an unknown and ever-changing landscape. There’s no template for selling plants in a pandemic, so we have mixed in online sales and delivery to accommodate our patrons. We have limited the number of guests in our shop and followed the state mandates in order to keep the general public and ourselves safe. We are so grateful for our loyal followers and shoppers who have kept us afloat in such strange times.
Luna Gifts & Botanicals
261 Wayne Ave.
www.lunadayton.com
937-522-0240
facebook.com/Lunadayton
Instagram: @luna_gifts
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