Business is blooming at Columbia Florist in Kingsbridge. It's the store's first fully operational Valentine's Day after a fire devastated the shop in December 2023.

The holiday of love is equivalent to the Super Bowl for the family-run flower shop. "I didn't go home last night. Twenty-four hours I've been here, that's how busy it is," said store owner Connie Dennis. Dennis says they have five delivery drivers dropping off bouquets around the borough, and hundreds of pre-orders. They also are accepting walk-ins until they sell out of roses. The florist had been a cornerstone in the community for more than 60 years. Dennis family opened the business and passed it on to her and her sisters. The fire in December 2023 shut them down for nearly a year back. Last Valentine's Day, they opened a pop up for the day but could not fulfill their typical orders for the special holiday rush.

The store officially reopened on Halloween in 2024.