By Julio Tejada, Editorial Intern
Just like their plants, Plantiitas in Long Beach saw growth in their business, while the pandemic rattled many small businesses.
Anthony Diaz and Kevin Alcaraz went from selling plants from their home to having a store front. Plantiitas began with a social media post in April of 2020 and in one year it now has more than 12,000 followers on Instagram.
“People really went plant crazy after the pandemic started, we didn’t expect it, but people really started getting into house plants,” Diaz said. “It got so out of control and we did not feel safe having people in our garage and that is what led us to have a storefront. It was a huge leap, but it really paid off in the end because here we are: our business has been successful and we are thankful for that.”
Diaz, 31 and Alcaraz, 27, are a queer couple from Long Beach that were suddenly unemployed because of the pandemic. Alcaraz had begun selling plants right before the pandemic, but then the world changed. It made it harder to sell from their apartment.
Alcaraz began setting up a table in front of their garage so people could pick up their plants on the weekend.
Diaz said it is thanks to Alcaraz’s amazing vision. Ultimately the shop has been successful because they care about the customer, the product and most importantly the community.
One of those customers is Mariandy Torgerson, 32, a Long Beach local who started getting into the plant community a little before the pandemic. She quickly was hooked when she was able to have her pilea peperomioides bloom while also saving her sisters and mothers plants. She was able to connect with Plantiitas through Instagram and has been a supporter since their garage selling days.
“I feel like having plants gives you a sense of peace in your home,” Torgerson said. “To know that you are naturally purifying your home is a great feeling.”
Alcaraz talked about how throughout history plants have always been popular and right now they are trending. Plants are beginning to take more meaning for people and especially during a pandemic people have been home more.
“People aren’t having children as much as they used to and plants are giving people the sense of nurturing and caring for something else,” Diaz added.
Plantiitas has also done a lot for the Long Beach community. It has an initiative called Plantiitas Values. The business donates some of its earnings to local nonprofits. In April, Plantiitas will focus on giving support to mothers who are escaping homelessness and domestic violence.
“We really want to use our platform to give back and let our success be other people’s success,” Diaz said.
Plantiitas does this by doing what they call Makers Market.
The couple hosts vendors in front of their shop every two weeks with local artists and craft makers. Plantiitas started out as a pop-up and Diaz talks about how places would charge to set up their pop-up and it was another added expense. Diaz and Alcaraz don’t charge people and they use their rising Instagram following to promote these vendors.
Thanks to that following Alexander Garcia, 21, who worked on a project for his marketing class, became an employee at Plantiitas. Garcia believes the plant craze has been caused by people being able to focus more on themselves as they now have the time to take in new hobbies.
“They are very open to anybody that goes into the store like when you see them interact with customers is very different from what I’ve seen at other stores,” Garcia said. “They try to make you feel like you’re a part of their family, not just somebody who is going to buy a plant, that is kind of what sets them apart from other businesses.”
Having the storefront has allowed Plantiitas to have more space but with a bigger space means more plants and it has been an adjustment. They have to limit people inside and at times people are waiting outside for 30 minutes or up to an hour.
The response to the layout of the shop has been amazing.
Plantiitas has become Diaz and Alcaraz’s main focus as they have left their former jobs behind. In order to keep your plants alive, you must take care of them and they are doing the same for their business.
Details: Plantiitas,4003 East 4th St. Long Beach
562-400-5452; People@Plantiitas.com