Old Business, New Business BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
A decades-old fl ower shop and a new soccer facility
showcase the breadth of Kings County’s commerce
Brooklyn’s unique mainstay businesses
and its blossoming new
ventures are confi rmation that the
County of Kings is a breeding ground
for inspiration when it comes to commercial
opportunity. The borough’s
diverse mom-and-pop shops are a nod
to the melting pot of residents that inhabit
its vast, urban terrain.
Nurturing those operations are of
signifi cant importance to Borough
President Adams, who opened a smallbusiness
mentoring center at Brooklyn
Borough Hall two years ago that
he said has helped local entrepreneurs
achieve their dreams ever since.
“Brooklyn Borough Hall has become
a true hub for small business
development in my administration,”
Borough President Adams said. “I
will continue to leverage my offi ce’s
resources, including capital dollars
targeted at improving workforce development
and neighborhood infrastructure,
to ensure the mom-and-pop
business always have a bright future
to look forward to in our borough.”
Read on to learn about two such
business, one recently opened and the
other serving Brooklyn for decades:
AVENUE J FLORIST, CIRCA 1930
Nestled on a bustling commercial
corner in the heart of Midwood, the
family-owned and operated Avenue
J Florist has helped to beautify the
neighborhood and its residents’ homes
for some 85 years.
The fl oral shop — founded in 1930
by Louis K. Vellios, a Greek–American
immigrant and World War I veteran —
has been a mainstay in the community
that its founder settled in decades ago,
after a brief stint living in the Bronx
following his family’s move to the
United States.
Today, Vellios shop is thriving
thanks to the help of his relatives
who have joined in the family business
over the years — including his
eldest son Kostas, who runs the retail
operations, and his daughter Pamela,
who manages the offi ce — leaving the
founder to focus more on his outfi t’s
event and décor businesses.
“We have four generations here.
My father, me, my grandsons,” said
Louis’s son, Kostas Vellios. “We’re the
only business on Avenue J with the
same family.”
The Vellios family expanded the
fl oral shop to multiple locations since
opening it in Southern Brooklyn,
bringing outposts to Kings Plaza Mall
and Manhattan’s Citigroup Center
building, and opening pop-up shops
along Court Street and other North
Brooklyn neighborhoods.
ONE BROOKLYN | W 18 INTER 2018–2019
The Avenue J Florist is a four-generation family-owned-and-operated shop located at 1502 Avenue
J. It was founded in 1930 by Louis K. Vellios, a Greek-American immigrant and World War I veteran.
The family still owns and operates the store, which has remained a cornerstone in the city’s fl oral
industry. Avenue J Florist
But throughout the decades, the
original location at 1502 Avenue J between
E. 15th and 16th streets has remained
its star shop, where residents
from Midwood and beyond come to
purchase singular fl owers and arrangements.
One secret to the shop’s perennial
success is its unique family dynamic,
according to Kostas, who said he
wouldn’t want things any other way.
“It’s very good,” he said. “They listen
to me.”
Avenue J Florist 1502 Avenue J between
E. 15th and 16th streets in Midwood,
(718) 377–2002, avenuejfl oral.
com. Open Mon–Fri from 9 am to 6 pm,
Sat–Sun from 10 am to 4 pm.
SOCCEROOF, CIRCA 2018
It’s all about fun and games.
A team of Frenchmen opened a new
indoor soccer facility in Sunset Park
that boasts 10 fi elds and two rooftop
lounges with views of Manhattan.
The space — in the Whale Building,
on 53rd Street between the waterfront
and First Avenue — features
10 fi elds fi t for 10 players each, along
with locker rooms, and a lounge with a
bar serving drinks and snacks, where
players can hang out after a game or
book special events.
The soccer lovers hope that Socceroof’s
swanky amenities will encourage
Brooklynites who have never
kicked a ball before to give the game a
try, according to the facility’s general
manager.
“The concept is to open the game of
soccer to anyone,” said Jonathan Lupinelli,
who originally hails from the
Bourdeaux region of France.
Parisian co-founders Jean-David
Tartour — who created “Le Five,” a
similar chain of nearly 30 indoor soccer
spaces across Europe — and Jerome
Meary, a former European recruiter
for Major League Soccer,
wanted to create a spot where players
could socialize before and after hitting
the fi eld, Lupinelli said.
“We realized in the U.S. people really
like to get together after playing,
and that it was important to not only
have soccer fi elds but a real place for
the soccer community to connect,
spend time, hang out,” he said. “We
wanted to make sure we had more
than just a soccer facility.”
Up to three fi elds can be combined
to accommodate up to 30 players, and
rates for the turf start at $110 for an
hour-long game with up to 12 players.
Socceroof also offers packages
for kids’ birthday parties and corporate
events, and plans to unveil more
dedicated event spaces in January, according
to Lupinelli, who added that
they also plan to debut a free app and
online community where players can
connect with each other and book
fi elds.
In the meantime, prospective players
can consider joining the space’s
soon-to-start kids and business
leagues, or even contact the owners to
talk about creating their own. Night
owls can fl ock to the site whenever
their hearts desire: the Socceroof is
available 24 hours a day.
Daytime players can rest their legs
on free shuttle busses that will transport
them to the waterfront facility
from the 36th Street subway station —
where straphangers can catch the D,
N, and R trains — along with hourly
pickups at the nearby Brooklyn Army
Terminal Ferry.
The trio hopes to expand with more
facilities in Brooklyn, Queens, and
New Jersey, Lupinelli said.
Socceroof (14b 53rd St. between
the water and First Avenue in Sunset
Park, www.socceroof.com). Open 24-7.
Socceroof’s General Manager
Jonathan Lupinelli is one
of three owners of the newly
opened Sunset Park facility,
which boasts 10 fi elds, two rooftop
lounges, and skyline views.
Photo by Julianne McShane
/www.socceroof.com