Want a shot of espresso with your dozen roses?
Paula Maher is counting that you do. Last month the owner of
the Dutch Connection, a flower shop in Harbor East, opened a caf� in the Bagby Building at 1008 Fleet St.
Called the Black Tulip, the caf� has boosted flower sales 10 percent as people come for the java and pick up a plant, Maher says.
"I always had a feeling that flowers and some coffee and food are a beautiful combination," Maher says. A native of the Netherlands, Maher
trained as a chef in Paris and moved to Baltimore with her husband in 1997.
"Now I have it all � flowers and a little bit of food."
The shop sells soups, quiches, pastries, and coffee drinks. The Black Tulip contains nine tables, plus outdoor seating, and takes up about half of the 1,700-square-foot store.
Maher likes the
Harbor East neighborhood because she gets a mix of young residents and area office workers. She also likes that it is close to the waterfront.
A renovated former factory building, the Bagby's tenants include Bagby Pizza Co., Bikram Yoga, Vino Rosina, and PNC Bank.
"It's lively," Maher says of Harbor East. "I like the shops in the area. It's as close as we can come to New York. It's an interesting part of the city."
Maher also operates another Dutch Connection in Belvedere Square.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Paula Maher, Dutch Connection