Fruity gifts celebrate 10 years in Elmhurst

ELMHURST – When Linda Ekendahl moved to Elmhurst from Connecticut in her late 20s 10 years ago to open the state’s first Edible Arrangements store with a friend, she knew right away she loved the Chicago area and people.

“I just remember falling in love with the city ... and falling in love with the people,” Ekendahl said.

After a decade in Elmhurst, she credits her success to her marketing efforts and the business’ excellent customer service. In the spirit of customer appreciation, Ekendahl, who is now the store’s sole owner, is offering $10 off any $40 order throughout April for her store’s anniversary.

“Marketing and customer service ... they go hand in hand,” Ekendahl said.

She knows the Edible Arrangements website can be overwhelming because of the large selection, but said she and her employees do their best to listen to customer needs and make recommendations specific to the occasion for which they’re shopping.

Ekendahl believes in building lasting relationships with her customers and hopes the April deal shows her existing customers she appreciates them while inviting new people to try Edible Arrangements.

“If someone is unhappy we really go above and beyond to make them happy … we care,” Ekendahl said about her drive to please all of her customers.

She’s always been on York Street, but her first storefront sat north of North Avenue. After five years, corporate remodeling initiatives and her growing business led her to seek out a new location. She moved with the help of a $10,000 retail grant she applied for through the city and chose her current location at 209 N. York St. in 2009.

“I never ever really knew the difference between being here and being there. It’s totally night and day,” Ekendahl said.

One of the biggest surprises Ekendahl found when she moved to her newest location, customers were continually expressing their excitement to see an Edible Arrangements store in Elmhurst.

“What killed me was when I first opened up the store here, people would walk in and say ‘We’re so glad you finally opened up one of these in Elmhurst.’”

With Mariano’s and the LA Fitness, which will replace the Waverton Hotel, Ekendahl believes the north end of York Street in Elmhurst is definitely changing.

Behind her cozy and colorful storefront sits a spacious kitchen area where pineapple flowers, chocolate dipped strawberries and
cupcake-shaped fruits are assembled into fresh-made bouquets. Behind the kitchen, drivers enter through a back door to pick up deliveries, an
element Ekendahl especially appreciates on Valentine's Day.

The holiday is her busiest day of the year. This February her 25 drivers managed to successfully deliver 620 orders in a single day.

“I’m very proud I’ve been able to hold my own in Elmhurst even with the huge cannibalization that has happened around me with other Edible Arrangement stores,” Ekendahl said.

While she began as the first store in Illinois, there are now other Edible Arrangement franchises in the western suburbs where people can place orders, but she continues to be successful. She credits her marketing background and relationship with the community.

As excited as she is to celebrate her decade of business, Ekendahl can hardly believe it’s been that long since she moved into her first Elmhurst apartment just a block from her original store.

“It doesn’t feel like 10 years at all,” Ekendahl said.