Donato's Floral

Donato’s Floral began in 1988 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota—inside the former Noble Drug building. When two longtime pharmacists were ready to retire, they encouraged the Donato family to purchase the space. At just 24 years old, Victor Donato stepped into the opportunity with no formal floral training but a remarkable natural talent for design. His 21-year-old sister, Anna, joined him, backed by their Italian immigrant father, and together they opened Donato’s Floral.

The timing was extraordinary. Frank, the area’s most beloved florist located across from North Memorial Hospital, was retiring. The community was heartbroken to lose him—and curious about the brother-and-sister team taking his place. The Donatos hired experienced designers, learning from them while Victor refined his instinctive eye into true expertise. What started as curiosity quickly became trust.

By 2014, Donato’s Floral had grown to two locations in Crystal and Maple Grove. Then, on February 25, everything changed. Victor passed away suddenly from a heart attack at just 51 years old. Anna had previously discussed leaving the business to join her husband’s catering company, planning for Victor and his sister-in-law to take over fully. Instead, she stayed—choosing to carry forward her brother’s dream.

Victor’s presence still shows itself in unexpected ways.

On Valentine’s Day 2025, a gentleman walked into our shop holding a gift certificate dated 1991, signed by Victor Donato from the original Crystal location. It read: “No expiration date. Not redeemable for cash.” He explained that he received it through a St. Joseph’s Catholic Church program that helps clear estates of individuals who pass away without family. His wife had insisted he keep it—because she knew the Donatos. Nearly three decades later, he stood before us holding Victor’s signature on a $15.50 certificate, once enough to buy a dozen roses. We honored it without hesitation. We gave him the flowers. We hugged him. And we still have that certificate today.

That same spirit carried us overseas.

In 2025, Victor’s niece Juliana was married in Italy. Victor had done the flowers for every family wedding, and she desperately wanted her uncle’s presence felt on her day. Though he was gone, his legacy was not. We closed the store and brought three designers to Italy. With direction from our team, Italian florists handled the ceremony arrangements—but we created Juliana’s bouquet and several deeply personal pieces. Through the work of our hands, Victor was there.

Our approach to floristry comes directly from Victor’s philosophy of customer service: go beyond expectations until the customer leaves amazed. We read every card to understand the message being sent. We call when substitutions could change the meaning. If someone orders bright, celebratory flowers but the card expresses sympathy, we confirm before designing. If a specific flower—like stargazer lilies—matters deeply and isn’t available, we are honest about it. Every detail matters, because every moment matters.

Today, Donato’s Floral continues under those same standards. Our design team is led by Anna Donato-Ghani, Angie Zeger, Maria Donato, and Melanie Fegerstrom. We proudly support Whizbang Days in Robbinsdale, Maple Grove Days Ambassador Scholarship programs—Victor’s favorite community involvement—as well as PRISM Food Shelf in Crystal-Robbinsdale and CROSS in Maple Grove.

We are trusted by organizations including Boston Scientific, North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale and Maple Grove, numerous churches and funeral homes, and pet hospitals throughout the area for sympathy arrangements. The Minnesota Twins organization relies on us for hospitality needs, especially during times of celebration and loss.

Our warehouse space, located next to the Keller Williams building, may not look like a traditional flower shop. Inside, however, designers spend hours crafting meaningful arrangements—whether that means carefully preparing roses for someone waiting or incorporating deeply personal items into a funeral tribute.

Victor founded this shop.
We run it by his standards.
And we serve our community the way he taught us: personally, carefully, and with genuine attention to what each customer truly needs.