It's been just over three months since an intentionally-set fire destroyed the business that's been beloved by Los Angeles for 30 years. From the Grammys to the Golden Globes, the Oscars, celebrity weddings and everything in between, you've seen their work.
"There's many things going on in the world right now and yes, this is an awful thing for us, but it's not the worst thing happening in the world right now. It's just about perspective. How you look at things. You can't live in the negative. You have to look at the positive. We love Sherman Oaks. We're here to stay for another 30 years at least," said Michael Uncapher, managing director and co-owner of Mark's Garden.
[Ads /]
Mark's Garden has repaired the smoke damage to storage space they own next door to their destroyed storefront and is turning it into a pop-up for Valentine's Day, opening next week.
"We were all heartbroken. It's such a staple of the community and to see it gone. We were just so sad. It's been really powerful and amazing to see them come back like this. It shows that they really care about this neighborhood. Care about this city. That they wanted to stay here and not move. Not go to a different facility. They obviously care about Sherman Oaks and their neighbors here," said Greg Durnal, the manager of Sweet Butter Kitchen, located next to Mark's Garden.
After the fire, Mark's Garden also kept all 50 employees, putting them to work at the company's Tarzana warehouse as the business never shut down. Neighboring businesses and residents in Sherman Oaks can't believe the shop is coming back so soon.
[Ads /]
"Thrilled. Truly. We go over there periodically to buy their products. Buy flowers for friends and what not. To have them nearby again. To see their guys in the back will be like normal," said Patricia Ritter, who lives near Mark's Garden.
"We get customers that come by to get flowers and walk over and say, hey what happened? Where are they? How can we get in contact with them? They're a staple of this community. To see them come back is going to help us all because they bring in a lot of foot traffic," said Durnal.
After Valentine's Day, Mark's Garden plans to use the storage space as a temporary store until construction is completed to make up for the fire damage. The rebuild is expected to take one year.