Family and customer service are the two things most important to Leslie Hayes and her mom, Marge Wiatrek, when it comes to running Petals to Go.

The mother-daughter duo manage and own the flower shop, and hope their floral designs and acts of service will bring joy to someone’s day.

How it started

Leslie Hayes opened Petals to Go in 2019. She bought the storefront from the shop’s previous owner, Shirley Hauptrief, and merged it with her own floral design and wedding planning business, I Do Flowers, that she started after earning her degree in fashion management.

Wiatrek—who has over 30 years of experience in the floral industry—was the store’s manager at the time. Hayes said she found a love for designing flowers because of her mom’s involvement. She would help make arrangements while attending Canyon Lake High School.


“It's a passion for me, but it also comes very easy for me, and I love designing,” Hayes said. “I love being able to work with my hands and be creative every day.”

What’s special about it?

Petals to Go is a one-stop shop for gifts and plants. When it opened, Hayes said one of her first priorities was to get her beer and wine license to sell alcohol. After a year in business, she began selling home decor items, jewelry, food and other locally sourced gifts.

Hayes said this paired with the feeling of buying from a local, family-owned business is what makes the shop unique. She said they see the same customers every holiday and every week.


“We know exactly what they do for a living, we know what their wives do for a living,” Hayes said. “So it's really fun to get to know the community and be able to serve all the same people over and over.”

Petals to Go arrangement prices typically range from $75 and up. Hayes said she can still work with a customer to get them a $45-$55 arrangement if they need it. She said she loves connecting with people over an act of service doing something she loves with her family.

“I love being able to bring joy to people,” Hayes said. “I love being able to know that when we bring someone flowers, it brings them happiness.”

In the future, Hayes would like to expand the shop to have its own plant nursery.