By Martina Valdovinos, Nova Southeastern University
Before Ann’s Florist & Coffee Bar became our go-to coffee spot, it was simply the place where my boyfriend and I were planning on meeting for the first time.
On July 2, 2024, what was supposed to be a casual coffee date turned into four hours of conversation. The coffee was excellent, the service felt effortless and welcoming, and the sun cast the kind of golden light that makes everything look like part of a movie. Little did I know that the small outdoor table where we sat would become the beginning of a long relationship.
Since then, Ann’s has become our place for quick coffees on the run, little stops whenever life feels too fast and anniversary dates. What I learned over time is that for many people in Fort Lauderdale, Ann’s has been that kind of place for much longer.
A Fort Lauderdale Staple: 50 Years of History
Ann’s celebrates 50 years in 2026, although the café came later. Owner Taylor Fuentes said her grandmother Ann opened the original business in 1976 as a greenhouse located in Hollywood, FL with $500 and a 10th grade education. Over time, the business expanded into a florist shop, Ann’s Greenhouse & Florist, and, in 1992, the family opened the current Las Olas location.
The Evolution of a Local Favorite
About 10 years ago, the family added what Fuentes described as “just a little café” where customers could grab a coffee while walking around the shop. At first, she said they expected to sell only “2 or 3 coffees a shift,” but the concept “kind of took on a mind of its own” and grew from there. Two years later came a wine and beer bar, followed by a full liquor bar, transforming Ann’s into the layered experience it is today.
What began as a flower shop evolved into something harder to define and more memorable because of it.
“It’s unlike anything you have ever seen,” Fuentes said.
A European Café Experience
Before you even step inside Ann’s, the outdoor seating area sets the tone. The tables invite people to settle in and stay awhile, each one decorated with a fresh flower that adds a small but memorable touch. With its charming furniture and relaxed atmosphere, the patio carries the feeling of a European café, the kind of place where conversation stretches easily.
“We wanted it to feel more like a European café where you could sit there all day long,” Fuentes said.
Inside, the experience unfolds even further. Warm lighting, the smell of coffee and rows of irresistible pastries make the space feel instantly inviting. Antique-style furniture adds to the charm, while floral arrangements brighten the walls. Then, to the left, the flower shop opens into another layer of the experience, filled with fresh blooms, detailed arrangements and home decor items all available for purchase. Fuentes noted that almost everything in the space can be bought, from furniture to decorative pieces, making Ann’s feel less like a conventional business and more like a place where people can wander through, experience and make their own.
That layered atmosphere may be one reason Ann’s has lasted while so many South Florida businesses come and go. On Las Olas Boulevard, where high rents and constant turnover make longevity rare, surviving five decades is an accomplishment. For three generations, keeping Ann’s open has meant constant work and adaptation.
“There are not many small businesses left,” Fuentes said. “It is really hard to make it on Las Olas Boulevard.”
More Than Just a Shop
Still, longevity alone is not what makes Ann’s special. What gives the space its meaning is the role it has played in people’s lives over the years.
“There are first dates, there are people working, there are business meetings going on, there are girls’ nights out,” Fuentes said.
In some cases, Ann’s created wedding floral arrangements for couples, then for their children and now their grandchildren. For Fuentes, that emotional connection is tied directly to the way Ann’s approaches hospitality.
“People want to feel seen,” she said. “People want to feel welcome.”
That sense of care is easy to understand as a customer. Ann’s does not feel rushed. It feels lived in, loved and full of possibility. People come for flowers, iced matchas, coffee and pastries, but they stay for conversation, comfort and the feeling that there is room for them there.
For me, Ann’s will always be the place where something important began. After speaking with Fuentes, it became clear that my story is only one among many. For 50 years, Ann’s has been part of marked milestones, celebrations and ordinary moments that later become cherished memories. What began as a greenhouse has grown into a space that has quietly shaped the lives of generations in South Florida.
Martina Valdovinos is a student reporter in NSU’s feature writing course taught by Dr. Megan Fitzgerald in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts.
