Wild Honey Flower Truck is a florist that can put the pedal to the metal. Or is that petal? Or maybe even peddle?
Actually, all three apply.
The baby blue 1963 Ford pickup truck is a pop-up florist able to travel to farmers markets, street festivals and any number of corporate events and public gatherings.
It’s an idea that bloomed when Kelsey Sizemore and her husband, Josh, saw similar flower operations outside of Alabama.
“We had seen a couple of similar businesses in other cities and we thought it was something that Birmingham would really love,” Kelsey Sizemore said.
If you’re going to have a flower truck, it has to start with the truck.
“We started by looking at trucks on Craigslist and eBay,” Sizemore said. “We decided on the kind of truck that we liked.”
Wild Honey Flower Truck is blooming in Birmingham from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
When they found a potential truck in Ohio, Sizemore sent her father-in-law to check it out. When it earned a thumbs-up, they had the truck towed to Birmingham.
“We started the process of really transforming the truck into something that could house the flowers,” she said.
That meant a paint job, building out the back to carry flower vases and adding an awning.
Next came procuring flowers by working with wholesalers, flower markets and other dealers.
With the truck ready and outfitted with flowers, the only decision was where to go to sell them.
“We just sought out the places that we really like to go,” Sizemore said.
That could mean being outside of the Pizitz building one day and in Woodlawn the next.
You can also find Wild Honey Food Truck at the West Homewood Farmer’s Market every Tuesday night this summer.
The warmer weather and opening of seasonal markets and festivals has made for a busy time for Wild Honey Flower Truck, which started sales in November.
“This is our first spring and summer season,” Sizemore said. “We’re really figuring it out as we go. We’re trying to have the truck out every weekend.”
The truck tends to draw a crowd and creates many opportunities for selfies. Sizemore has grown used to the reactions.
“I think they’re pretty surprised,” she said. “Most people want to take pictures with the truck. They ask a lot of questions about the truck and how old it is. I think it’s a very Instagram-able business, so people really like that. They can make a bouquet and take a picture with it and it helps us spread the word, too.”
One area of growth the Sizemores see is corporate events. Businesses like having the truck show up and then the bosses buy flowers for employees. She would like to see that side of the business continue to grow.
Meanwhile, you never know when a florist may come rolling up in Birmingham.
Wild Honey Flower Truck can be found online, on Facebook and on Instagram.
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)
