What began as a search for a new floral studio has grown into something larger for Andrea Kysar and the Venersborg community.
Kysar and her husband purchased the historic Venersborg Store building last August after years of watching it deteriorate while driving by.
“We’ve been a part of this area for a lot of years and, about four years ago, we built a house at the end of Risto Road. And as we kept coming up the hill, we’d look at this building, and I was telling my husband, ‘it’s just going to the ground,’” Kysar said. “It was deteriorating really quickly.”
She had been preparing to move her home-based floral business into a dedicated space when an unexpected opportunity appeared.
“My husband and I were talking a little bit one day and I decided that I was ready to move on in my floristry business at home, and I needed a floral studio,” she said. “We were on a little trip on the way home. All of a sudden, I looked over and there was a sign, a for sale sign. I’m like, ‘is that our sign?’ That’s our sign.’”
While Kysar envisioned the building as a floral studio, community members hoped part of the historic store’s legacy would remain. Today, the business combines floral services, gifts and a small mercantile selection with everyday necessities.
“I never imagined I’d sell milk and eggs and that kind of stuff, too, but the community was really open and vocal about wishing that there’d be a little bit of the Venersborg store left,” Kysar said.
Kysar offers event floral, grab-and-go bouquets with her flower arrangement business, Sweet Saturday Co. Her store also offers small gift items, a small selection of mercantile items like milk and eggs and other goods.
The store held a soft opening in April before celebrating its grand opening alongside the Venersborg Schoolhouse’s “Taste of Venersborg” event.
Since opening, Kysar said the community support and feedback has been amazing. Among the biggest surprises has been the popularity of the store’s Friday bakery offerings.
“We have a local baker and she does long, fermented sourdough, so it takes about two days to create loaves of bread, and on Fridays at noon, you can come in and get sourdough. We have a waiting list,” Kysar said. “Her max production is 23 loaves, so (it) often sells out within 20 minutes.”
The coffee menu has also become an unexpected draw, one brought forth by her daughter’s visions for the space’s offerings. But Kysar said the greatest reward has been watching neighbors connect.
“Neighbors meeting neighbors,” she said. “People that didn’t know that they live in the same enclave. That has been really amazing.”
As a florist at heart, Kysar said serving customers has always been about more than flowers.
“No matter what you do in life, I think that floral is a service industry, and I like to serve people and I love to hear their stories,” she said. “People are really willing to share here and I’ve enjoyed it.”
Kysar also has an active story sharing system, via pencil and paper. Kysar hopes to hear more about people’s connections to the Swedish-rooted pocket of rural Clark County, as well learn more history through longtime residents of Venersborg.
Looking ahead, Kysar plans to introduce floral-centered workshops this fall while continuing to gather ideas and memories from visitors.
“The Venersborg Store, we purchased it, but it’s really the community’s,” she said. “I feel like I’m just the steward, and I’m excited to see where this goes.”
The Venersborg Store and Sweet Saturday Co. is located at 2402 NE 209th St., Battle Ground. The store is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from noon. to 6 p.m. and is closed on Sunday and Monday.
For more information, visit sweetsaturdayflorist.com. For updates on both businesses, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
