Rent increase driving long-time florist out of Annandale
The Flower Den, an Annandale institution for the past 25 years, is moving to Lorton.
“The last thing I want to do is move,” says Jenny Kalifa, owner of the flower shop in the Bradlick Shopping Center at the intersection of Backlick and Braddock roads. But the landlord is raising the rent when the shop’s lease is up for renewal in August.
She tried to negotiate with the shopping center’s management company, Combined Properties, “but they told me no,” Kalifa says. “They go by the rules. They don’t understand that a specialty tenant that’s been there for a long time brings foot traffic to the shopping center.”
Kalifa says the rent has been going up by about 3 percent every year. She declined an offer from the company for another smaller space in the Bradlick Shopping Center for the same rate.
Instead, she found another space at 8196-C Terminal Road in the Backlick Center South Shopping Center near the Fairfax County Parkway and Interstate 95. “They were very welcoming,” she says of the owner, and the rent is one-third less for the same amount of space.
Jenny and her husband, Sami Kalifa, opened the Flower Den in 1990. Jenny has been operating the shop on her own since Sami, a former president of the Annandale Chamber of Commerce who had been involved in many Annandale activities, passed away in 2008.
8 responses to “Rent increase driving long-time florist out of Annandale”
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A good tenant that you already have, while raising the rent every year nonetheless, is easier than finding a new one.
Serious bummer. I always liked this place.
I've been meaning to check out the Annandale florist on Columbia Pike. Guess I'll move that up on my list of things to do.
It's sad to see this business leave Annandale, however I did speak with them and they said they'll still be servicing to Annandale, which is good to know.
I am so sorry to hear this. Sami and I worked together for over 40 years. He was a wonderful caring man. Never knew a stranger. Everyone was a friend. Jenny and kids were his life. They are not being treated fairly! Small businesses being driven out! Short sighted !
Peggy did you by chance work at Erol's as well? Maybe over in Springfield on Woodruff Ct?
Interesting to hear these comments. I've gone in there 3 times (hoping each was an error) and each time I've gotten rude service, if I got served at all. I felt like I was a nuisance in that store. I never see people in there and figured others got the same cold shoulder as I did.
So sad to see this friendly, locally owned store leaving Annandale. Easy to throw stones when it can't be verified. This is the way this country has gone. So sad.