BizCents: Enough flowers to fill the community 

Rocky Mountain Rose moves to new location 


Rocky Mountain Rose employee Audrey Lewis and owner Dani Crist hold bundles of roses during the grand opening.

On Nov. 17, the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce held a business after hours event to highlight all the tenants of the Elk Horn Building on East Tomichi. But for the newest business on the block, it was also a grand opening — or, rather, reopening.

With the cut of a ribbon, Rocky Mountain Rose was officially open for business once again, after moving from its former spot at Denver and Colorado. Now at 303 East Tomichi, the Rose joins Gunnison Pizza Company and Black Canyon Chiropractic at the popular location. 

Owner Dani Crist spent her youth in the flower fields of rural Michigan. A short bike ride down the street led to a flower farm she described as the “coolest job in town.” Paid in flower bunches, she spent her days surrounded by rows of larkspur, statice and sunflowers. 

Like many, Crist was drawn to the Gunnison Valley for its skiing opportunities and attended Western State College. For many years, she worked at Crested Butte’s Misty Mountain Floral as well as the Rocky Mountain Rose. Crist took over the Rose about seven years ago, following in the footsteps of her mentor, Kelli Massey, who owned both floral shops at the time. They still keep in close contact.

“We want to fill the community with flowers and plants and what they need,” Crist said. “If it takes more than one of us businesses doing it, and we had to help each other out, we do.”

Crist serves the Gunnison community in numerous ways, supplying flowers and arrangements for weddings, funerals and other events. Her team even does Christmas decorating in the winter. Red and white poinsettias lined the front of the shop just in time for the start of the holiday season.

The plants and flowers that fill the shop travel from across the world, sometimes as far as Hawaii and Argentina, before they reach Crist’s shelves in Gunnison. Her main wholesaler is located in Denver, but during the summertime she buys from the valley’s local farmers. If the shop doesn’t have the plants a customer is looking for, she’s happy to make a special order. 

The big move to Tomichi Avenue includes a front deck that will allow her plants to overflow from the shop and the greenhouse into the sun during summer months. The inside of the building, which previously housed 5B’s Barbecue, is arranged like a cozy wood cabin with plants covering almost every surface. The Rocky Mountain Rose’s original cooler made the move as well, and is filled to the brim with multicolored flower bundles. 

The building where the Rose was formerly located is owned by Gunnison Valley Health. A year and a half ago, hospital management notified Crist that they wanted to use the building for a future expansion. The timeline was unknown.

Since then, Crist said she couldn’t sleep until she had found a place to move her business. Now, with a full greenhouse, fresh flowers and a large selection of house plants — and more on the way — Rocky Mountain Rose is once again ready to welcome locals and visitors. 

“We’re just getting started,” Crist said. “This is the beginning.” 

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@gunnisontimes.com.)

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