ST. LOUIS — This is a big weekend.
Sunday is, of course, the Super Bowl (airing on 5 On Your Side), but Valentine's Day might as well be the big game for some retailers.
Flowers of every conceivable color, shape, size and arrangement can be found inside Walter Knoll Florist's distribution center on La Salle Street—even the ones that don’t make the cut are beautiful.
One of about 20 owners, Chuck Knoll laughed when a reporter asked if the distribution center would be open on Sunday.
"Of course we're open on Sunday!" he said. “We'll be open 15-18 hours on Sunday getting ready for Monday. Monday is the big day ... this is our Super Bowl."
Knoll said it's crunch time at the company's other retail locations, too.
"We supply all those from this facility, and not just them, but we have a couple hundred other florists that also buy from our wholesale operation," he said, adding it's also open to the public.
Customer Phillice Gregory and a friend throw an annual Valentine's Day event for their children and switch up the color of flowers every year.
"Some years I have pink and red. Some years I have pink and white. Some years I have red and white," she said.
Knoll talked about the ongoing supply chain issues he had to contend with to get to Valentine’s Day.
"You can call and ask for something and be told it's a year out," he said. "So we need a year's supply. Something as basic and simple as the floral foam has been in shortage for a long time. We literally buy truckloads of it so we have it in-house."
Across town at Crown Candy Kitchen, two lines formed Saturday morning: one for lunch and one for candy.
In the back of the store, owner Andy Karandzieff could sell tickets to his candy making operation. Karandzieff and three of his childhood friends were standing around a large table dipping various pieces of fruit into a pot of chocolate.
So who's the trio's best strawberry dipper?
One of the men raised his hand, and Karandzieff didn't hesitate to point him out.
"This guy right here," he said. "He's got the most experience."
"Then this guy," said Karandzieff, referring to the man next to him and further outlining the pecking order.
"This guy's a rookie," he added, pointing at the man across the table. "This is his first year."
Crown Candy is closed Sunday, and then Monday, it’s game on.