Since opening in 1950, City Florist has been a family owned and operated storefront in Magee. Current owners Karen and Cliff McGinty have held the business since 2000, when original owner Johnnie Sue Everett decided to retire.
Cliff is Johnnie Sue’s grandson and was born in Magee General Hospital but moved in the 6th grade to Forest, Miss., Karen’s hometown. The two met after high school graduation and married. Later an opportunity presented itself to the family and they moved to Magee.
Karen found herself in the right place at the right time even if she didn’t realize it at the moment.
In 1990 Johnnie Sue called Karen and asked if she would work for her while one of the employees was out recovering from a bad burn. Karen explained, “She called me right after we moved here; she was kind of in a bind. She said, ‘Will you come help us today?’ I said, ‘What do you want me to do? I know nothing. I’ll come up there, but I don’t know how much help I’ll be.’”
Karen recalled that there was no idle time in the shop. “If you were here you were going to learn. You’re going to do flowers. She taught me everything. She was a good teacher. I enjoy it.”
Karen found her niche as a floral designer and business owner.
For ten years Karen worked side by side with Johnnie Sue learning everything about the business. Cliff said, “Mamaw decided she was ready to retire and Karen decided she could run it.” She wanted to continue the legacy in the family.
Karen loves seeing the smiles on the faces of those she serves and especially helping families. “It’s a lot of funeral work. It’s kind of the last thing they can do for their family. You want it to be nice.”
Karen has also had the opportunity to serve generations of family who began using the shop when Johnnie Sue owned it. “Now they’re getting fewer and fewer but ‘You did my great grandmother’s.’ I’m not getting that as much as time goes on, but, oh my, the first 10 or 15 years it was ‘Johnnie Sue did this and Johnnie Sue did that.’ She was loved.”
City Florist is in its original location at 118 Ist Avenue SE in Magee but has expanded over the years. It was much smaller in the days before wholesale flower delivery. Karen recalled the beginning days of the shop. “When Johnnie Sue opened she used to go around to people’s houses in their yard cutting their flowers. She’d ask them ‘can I have those flowers?’ She was starting out scraping by.”
The busiest day for City Florist is by far Valentine’s with Mother’s Day running a close second. “Everybody has a mother whether they’re here or the cemetery.”
At one time Christmas was very active too; however, now so many other businesses sell flowers for that holiday it has cut into City Florist’s business. The couple said that they cannot compete with the big box stores.
Karen noted that Covid had an adverse effect on City Florist but the economic downturn began earlier. Business rebounded from Covid well enough but not on the same level. Their loyal customer base has been helpful in the current economy today. “It was booming until the economy in ’08. It never went back. Flowers are not a necessity. When the economy’s hurting, we hurt. But we’re hanging on.” And they have no intention of letting go.
Karen has sage advice for anyone thinking of entering the floral business. “Most people that we have come in looking for jobs, they all think ‘oh it’s so wonderful! You get to play with flowers all day!’ That’s just a small portion of it. It’s a lot of work, heavy back work. If you can’t lift buckets – it’s a lot of work.”
Karen’s plan is to continue as long as she can, as long as her back holds out. She is from the generation that just keeps pushing, doing what you have to do to succeed, planning for at least another 10 to 15 years.
Next year is a big year in the history of City Florist, 75 years in Magee and 25 years with Karen and Cliff as owners. They are looking forward it. Karen said they will plan a celebration but at this point they’re not certain what but, “We’ll do something big!”
