Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivier Plusquellec.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Olivier. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2012, I co-founded Ode à la Rose with my friend, Louis Brunet. We are both originally from Paris, but now live in Brooklyn with our families. We met here in New York while working for the same investment bank. In 2008, when the financial crisis hit, we both started thinking about a career change. Four years later, we finally jumped ship and launched Ode à la Rose, an online flower delivery service. As frequent flower-senders, we were often disappointed by not only the quality of the arrangements being delivered but also the overall experience provided by most online florists. As we started studying the industry, we realized that many shared our frustration. We saw the opportunity to improve the market by offering high-quality arrangements at an affordable price, all while providing a premium experience for both the sender and receiver.
We bootstrapped the first couple of years and then we went to seek outside capital to accelerate our growth which allowed us to expand our service to most cities in the Northeast and more recently to Chicago.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like for any entrepreneurial venture, we did face unexpected turns and obstacles along the way and it took us longer than what we thought to get to where we are today. That said, we’ve always remained confident about the outcome of the project because of how well the product and the experience were received by our customers.
Ode à la Rose – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Ode à la Rose offers premium bouquets at an approachable price point. Having started with a simple collection of rose bouquets, we’ve grown to offer seasonal arrangements, flower crowns, forever roses, as well as a bouquet designed in collaboration with the team at Kate Spade New York. Through this growth, we’ve stayed true to our Parisian roots prioritizing quality over quantity and priding ourselves in excellent customer service. From sending you a photo of your bouquet as it leaves our workshop, to the care in the packaging itself, to the fact that each bouquet is hand-tied in a traditional French style – it’s a quality product that keeps our client and their recipient top of mind at every step.
Launching the Chicago leg of our company was an incredible achievement this year, after seven successful years delivering in New York and twelve states along the east coast – and we look forward to continued growth in the coming years.
The entire Ode à la Rose team takes pride in the products we offer, and you’ll see that come through in each and every bouquet delivered.
What were you like growing up? Personality wise, interest wise, etc.
I was pretty much a smaller version of my adult self. I was a very curious kid and enjoyed figuring out things on my own. Even though I wasn’t raised by an entrepreneurial family, my parents always encouraged me to pursue my wildest ideas.
Pricing:
- Our bouquets start at $49.99 with our Pick Me Up rose bouquet, which includes complimentary delivery.
- Our rose & seasonal bouquets start at $59.99 with $15 delivery throughout Chicago.
- We accept same-day orders M-F until 2:30pm each day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.odealarose.com/chicago-flower-delivery
- Phone: 312-600-9994
- Email: brecken@odealarose.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odealarose/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OdealaRose/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ode-%C3%A0-la-rose-chicago-3
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