Ventura County businesses hoping for Mother’s Day economic boost

VENTURA, Calif. – There is no downtime at Sweet Peas Flowers & Gifts in Ventura. Mother’s Day is two days away and a lot of work needs to be done.

“We are all going to be pulling a 36-hour shift,” said Kasey Kruft, who owns the flowers and gift shop. “We will just be standing at the middle table all day and all night. We really just don’t go home, we just stay and work.”

Kruft has worked at the shop for 30 years and owned it for 18. She says it's the busiest Mother's Day she's ever seen.

“We are very busy,” said Kruft. “This year people are making up for lost time.”

Kruft said she had to cut off orders Thursday and other local florists are just as busy.

Many Ventura County businesses are busy getting ready for Mother’s Day weekend. Owners are saying they are already seeing the economic impact that its bringing.

“We are expecting a large crowd,” said Alessandro Tramba, owner of Immigrant Son Cafe in Downtown Ventura. “It is our first Mother's Day because last year we were closed due to COVID. We are doing a ton of prep getting ready and we have our full staff ready to go.”

Many restaurants are not taking reservations, so the best option is to get your name in early or prepare to wait. Owners say the support from the community is helping them get back on their feet.

“Our business levels are back up to where they were, if not higher,” said Tramba.

More than a year after the pandemic started, Mother's Day 2021 is on track to bring a much-needed economic boost.

“We are really excited,” said Tramba. “We are back to full staff. We are hiring right now… any good cooks come find me.”