Through the fire,
pandemic and flood

A Brooklyn Native Born to Win through triumph and Tragedy. Dealing with tragedy is nothing new to Maritza. From Birth to now she is no stranger to Loss. Losing her Mother, who was 17 at the time of her death, to a car accident at 3 months old and all Parental figures through her entire life including Father, Grand Parents, Great Grandparents, Aunt and sibling, she continues to LIVE life without fear. Making every triumph her victory.

“Every Loss took a piece of me
and changed me as a person.”

Her Original Business — Next Door “Ritz-Walton Wedding Collection” suffered a 3 alarm fire after being open for 1 year ½. She somehow managed to stand and make great strides into the Wedding Floral industry that then had to withstand the Pandemic. Prior to the Pandemic, Maritza decided to begin re-construction on her original store to re-open, however the universe had other plans and delayed that process due to Covid.

Isolated to her home for 3 months and staying clear of Covid due to her battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis, Maritza logged back into the corporate world of Mortgage Finance. “I took on 3 jobs working from home in order to keep my business alive and to also work on new plans.”

Maritza decided to take the store next to hers with the idea of opening a retail flower shop and Coffee Bar. Something that was missing in the community after the stapled flower shop ROXY's burned down a few months after her shop's fire. “I had no idea how it was going to be, but I knew I had an idea that was going to be cool.” She began offering Sip & Clips in the summer for outdoor parties. “The Sip & Clip Concept went over so well and was enjoyed by both Men and Women.”

The Build

Built on savings,
rebuilt on will

The Build out Began in 2021 after hiring a designer, Architect and Contractor. This dream was built with my savings from working three jobs, no loans, no access to capital, just savings. “We ran into a lot of delays, but never expected to encounter ‘IDA’. We were 90% complete in September of 2021 and then IDA came in and took us all the way OUT!

“Devastated and defeated was
an understatement. I was done.”

I was working out of a space in Paramus prepping for a wedding when I received the call that the store was filled with 5 ft of water. Mold had made its way under the boards of the floor and growing up the walls. To see the inventory and all of the hard work totally destroyed left me speechless. The contractor bailed out on me during the clean-up. Continuing to work hard and deposit her personal checks into her business accounts labeling them “building my dream” as Lisa Nichols advised.

Maritza was able to see her Vision come to life at the Grand Opening of Casa De Flora Bar on June 24th, 2022, surrounded by Family, friends and the community. Casa De Flora has become a trending sensation on TikTok and Instagram with customers visiting from all over, including other states and countries.

“God has truly been Amazing. We appreciate all the Love and continued Support.” We are still seeking an investor to take this to the level it could be with proper financing. We are also working on another grand idea coming Soon.