D'jour Floral Owner Says Bonjour, Au Revoir

Judy Pope has been busy the past week at D'jour Floral & Boutique making carnation leis for high school graduates and preparing to say goodbye to her neighbors.

Pope, a past president of the El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce, wrote to her customers: "D' jour Floral has proudly served the El Cerrito Kensington Community for the last seven years with old fashion personalized service. We have been committed to offering only the finest floral arrangements, plants and gift baskets, in addition to offering gifts, clothes, collectibles and more. Now is a time for a change."

D'jour Floral on Fairmount Avenue is closing its doors for good, but Pope is going out with a bang Saturday. She's planning a "Good Buy and Goodbye" party to thank her customers for all their years together.

"We're going out in style," Pope said. "This is a metamorphosis, a change."

This isn't exactly the end for Pope's floral business. She'll move the operation to her home under the banner Kensington Gardens Floral. Pope hopes to secure a contract with Colusa Markets to sell bouquets and will still serve weddings, parties, funerals and decor.

"The economy went bad and the nature of the street changed," Pope said, citing reasons for the closure. "People don't come around browsing in stores much in this area. There used to be antique stores around here and other shops where people would browse, but they're mostly gone now."