For close to 60 years, Salvy The Florist at 793 Western Avenue has been the No. 1 choice for flowers in Lynn.
With Mother’s Day coming, this would traditionally be the busiest time of the year, according to Salvy Migliaccio, who describes himself as “a young 66-year-old” owner of the store. He says that Valentine Day’s is the busiest day of the year.
Migliaccio has been at his stotre this week in advance of Morther’s Day that will be celebrated on Sunday.
“We’re open for taking phone orders, internet orders, and deliveries – we’re not open for retail, said Migliaccio. “We made that decision a couple of weeks ago that we were putting safety first for our customers, employees, and family.”
The COVID-19 crisis is impacting the traditional observance of Mother’s Day where people would gather for large dinners and present flowers to their loved ones in person.
“People have mothers in their lives whom they can’t visit or have contact like they have in the past, so they’re reaching out to them and they’re sending flowers,” said Migliaccio. “We’re busy on that front.
“Unfortunately, we’re also busy on the funeral front. There are a lot of sad stories out there, with people losing their parents, loved ones, and friends. It’s a very difficult time right now, at least in our world, because we’re going from one extreme to the other, I guess,” said Migliaccio.
Migliaccio is being assisted at the store by his sons, Salvy Rocco, and Anthony, both St. Mary’s High School graduates. Salvy (Rocco) was a captain of the 1999 St. Mary’s football team and has two sons, Dante, a student-athlete at Lynn Classical High School, and Salvy Rocco Jr., 3.
Salvy’s father, Salvy, started the Salvy The Florist store on Western Avenue in 1962. Salvy Migliaccio has carried on the tradition of excellence, making each visit to the florist a special one for the customer. Some say the store is like the Cheers Bar on the television show where everybody is greeted like a friend and “everybody knows your name.” That’s what 58 years of uninterrupted, outstanding service means to Salvy’s customers. It produces customer loyalty.
The Migliaccio family also owns a store in Swampscott and on Broadway in Lynn. Salvy The Florist recently merged with Welch Florist of Lynn, taking over the operations of that store previously owned by Keith Saunders and David Daley right before Valentine’s Day.
“I’ve known Keith and David for many years,” said Migliaccio. “We’ve known each other for many years and we thought it would be a good fit. Keith and David [Welch Florist] had a great customer base and they ran a great business and we’re just very happy to pull it all together.”
Salvy The Florist has done more than pull it all together – they’re one of the true, original Lynn-based businesses that are making an important impact on the city, in the store and in the community.