Florist spends big on gas, workers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Up and ready to start clipping rose stems at 4 a.m. Tuesday, Ken Freytag began his 38th Valentine's Day in business. As owner of Freytag's Florist on West Anderson Lane in North Austin, he was more than ready for his second busiest time of the year.

"We're taking care of them quickly, and I think that's what they want,” Freytag said. "Everybody's upbeat back here, so we're having a great time."

Freytag worked alongside his children, grandchildren, and even his 90-year-old mother Alice.

"Oh yeah, it's great,” he said. “She comes in every day for five or six hours."

At age 15, Freytag lost his father and soon had to earn money for his family by working at another floral shop in Austin. By 19, he decided to open his own place – still in existence 38 years later.

“I'm very proud of him,” said Alice Freytag. “Everything runs so smoothly here. He does a good job.”

For that to happen for Valentine's Day, Freytag brought in almost 50 extra workers. Most had worked past midnight the night before.

"Had a really long night last night,” said Jennifer Anderson. “We were exhausted this morning."

Beyond the 500 walk-in customers they had, there were more than 1,000 deliveries. That cost can add up, if you consider the price of gas.

In Austin, on average a year ago, gasoline was $2.95 a gallon. A month ago, it was $3.21, and now it is all the way up to $3.43. However, unlike some shops, they do not pass along that extra cost to the customer. In a way, it is their show of love this holiday.

"It's one of our largest expenses all the time,” said Ken Freytag.

He rented 30 more vans, in addition to his own seven. In a normal month, Freytag's spends about $5,000 on gas. In the last two days alone, it has blown through another $2,000.

By tomorrow, Ken Freytag said the spending will slow down. But in three months, the extra crews will be back for something even busier – Mother's Day.

"Hey, we got through it, and I'm better for it,” he said. “I'm a better business person because of it."