Every year, the shop brings in an array of seasonal flowers and plant material.
By Katerina Solonos
(May 5, 2020)- Due to COVID-19, local stores are taking the biggest hit of all as far as businesses go. But Cleatus Farms Nursery, a family-owned garden center in Northvale, New Jersey isn’t letting coronavirus bring it down.
The plant nursery is open all year-round as the region’s one-stop-shop for all landscaping, gardening, and even hydroponic needs. Like most local businesses, Cleatus Farms relies on the hometown traffic to keep going.
Luckily the shop remains open as an essential business during the lockdown, as a form of hardware store required specifically for landscapers and contractors to purchase supplies.
Owned by business partners John Epiphaniou and Brian Connolly, both residing in neighboring towns, the garden center is run by various members of both families.
Luckily the shop remains open as an essential business during the lockdown, as a form of hardware store required specifically for landscapers and contractors to purchase supplies.
Owned by business partners John Epiphaniou and Brian Connolly, both residing in neighboring towns, the garden center is run by various members of both families.
For the first time ever, Cleatus Farms is operating through deliveries and curbside pick-up only in order to take proper precautions to keep both customers and employees safe during the global pandemic.
On a typical sunny day, the parking lot is packed with cars as customers browse through the yard of perennials in the back while running into neighbors and chatting with employees at the cash register.
Today, only one customer is permitted in the store’s main area at a time with the requirement of a face mask. Employees must also be wearing a facemask at all times while operating the store.
“It’s definitely an eerie feeling, you know? It’s almost like we’re all afraid of each other,” says Epiphaniou.
The co-owner also talks about the close relationship they have with their customers, most of whom are landscapers in the area and visit the store regularly.
Going digital. When the state announced the lockdown changes and requirements for certain businesses, the workers at Cleatus Farms got to work moving their store to a digital platform.
As of Thursday, the nursery’s improved website is live, as well as its brand-new Shopify where customers can browse the inventory and place online orders for pick-up.
Epiphaniou says that creating an online store for customers is crucial for the future success of the business as COVID-19 continues into the busy season.