Ann’s Florist & Coffee Bar

Ann’s Florist & Coffee Bar occupies a corner of East Las Olas Boulevard that has been in the flower business since the 1970s, when the shop first opened as a family run florist serving the growing Las Olas corridor. Decades later it is still run by the same family, and the concept has grown into something more than a typical flower shop. Alongside the buckets of fresh stems and finished arrangements, the space doubles as a small coffee bar and wine bar, filled with antiques and collectibles that customers are as likely to browse as they are to shop for a birthday bouquet.

The florist sources fresh flowers from growers around the world and turns them into arrangements that range from simple grab and go bouquets to more elaborate wedding and event work. Because the shop sits in the middle of one of Fort Lauderdale’s most walkable shopping and dining strips, it draws a mix of regulars picking up flowers on their way to dinner and visitors who wander in after noticing the greenery spilling out the front door. You do not need to be buying flowers to stop in. Many people come simply for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and end up staying to look at the antiques lining the walls and shelves, which change often enough that repeat visitors usually find something new.

For anyone planning a wedding or event in the Fort Lauderdale area, Ann’s is worth a look precisely because it is not a wire service order desk. The staff builds arrangements on site and can talk through color palettes, seasonal availability, and budget in person, which tends to produce a more personal result than an online order placed against a distant photo library. If you have a specific event date in mind, especially during the winter social season when Las Olas hosts art walks, wine walks, and holiday events, call ahead rather than walking in, since good stems for a particular color scheme can sell out.

Practical visitors should know that parking on Las Olas Boulevard itself is metered and can be tight during peak lunch and dinner hours, so the side streets just north and south of the boulevard, or one of the nearby municipal garages, are usually a faster bet than circling the block. Because the shop is also a working coffee and wine bar, it makes a natural stop before or after a Las Olas dinner reservation, rather than a separate errand. If you are shopping for a gift and are not sure what to choose, the collectibles and antiques mixed in with the floral displays often make for a distinctive present, particularly for a housewarming or hostess gift. Given the shop’s long run on Las Olas, the staff also tend to know the neighborhood well and can point newcomers toward other locally owned businesses along the boulevard, which is part of what keeps regulars coming back decade after decade.