Small Business Spotlight: Tati’s Floral is Bringing Beauty to Chicago’s South Side

Tati’s Floral isn’t just a flower shop – it’s a symbol of love for Chicago’s South Side.

Born in the middle of the pandemic, it started with a simple act of self-care.

“I was feeling down because of the pandemic, so I went to the store and bought myself some flowers,” said Tatiana Williams, founder of Tati’s Floral. “I noticed that it actually helped me. I felt like I was healing myself, and I wanted to share that feeling with others.”

Williams didn’t have a traditional business background or floral training, but that didn’t stop her.

Founder of Tati’s Floral Tatiana Williams

She turned to YouTube, watching videos to learn how to arrange flowers, care for plants, what equipment she would need, and how to best start a business.

With some seeds and flowers from local stores, she started putting together her own products and selling to friends, family, and those in her community. Reception was overwhelmingly positive – not only because of the great flowers, but because the area was absent of any other floral shop.

As Tati’s Floral began to grow, she began selling at a number of farmers markets around the city – and customers loved it.

Even with the growth, the heart of her business always came from her own lived experience and her neighborhood. This connection led to her next move.

“I love flowers and I love my community,” she said. “That’s why I bought a vacant property near my home. It’s a building that’s been untouched for over a decade.”

With two adjacent empty lots, she saw potential not just for a flower shop, but for economic revival in her community.

Since then, Williams has launched a farmers market series taking place every other Saturday, hired interns, and began sourcing directly from local farms and wholesalers instead of grocery stores.

The dream? A place that’s more than a shop — a space that feels like home.

Early in her journey, a UChicago student suggested the Polsky Exchange to Williams. She reached out and was connected to Isra Omar. From there, things took off.

She joined the Small Business Financial Fundamentals program, where she gained hands-on support preparing financial projections, refining her business plan, and learning the language of lenders.

As a client of the Polsky Center and its Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Williams also worked closely with SBDC Director Vince Beachum. He helped her assemble a comprehensive loan packet which included tax information, projections, business plans, and more.

The Spring Bouquet at Tati’s Floral

She used that same packet to revisit a conversation she had a few months earlier with Greenwood Archer Capital.

“I had initial conversations earlier in the year, but it sort of fell through because I didn’t have all the right documents at the time,” said Williams. “But with this packet that Vince helped me prepare, I had everything I needed.”

The result: she landed funding to support the grand opening of her new 79th Street location.

The building, once a forgotten restaurant seized by the land bank, is now under full renovation.

“The whole corner was empty,” Williams said. “Now it’s coming back to life. People are excited.”

What makes it special isn’t just the flowers — it’s what she hopes to build around them.

“Yes, it’s a floral shop, but I want it to be a community space,” said Williams. “I want to have a coffee shop, affordable retail space for other entrepreneurs, and a patio gathering area.”

And with community always at the center, she is working to launch My Future Florist — a youth program that teaches floral design and business basics.

“Even if they don’t become florists, kids will walk away with confidence and real-world skills,” she said.

Williams is focused on getting her flagship location up and running, but her ambitions stretch beyond a single storefront – eyeing pop-up shops across the city. More than anything else however, she wants her business to be a model for how community and entrepreneurship can coexist to create something powerful.

“This is bigger than flowers,” she said. “It’s about creating a space where people feel welcome—and leave feeling like they belong.”

Follow Tati’s Floral on TikTok @TatisFloral and Instagram @Tatis_Floral. Watch WGN’s coverage of Tati’s Floral’s Grand opening. 

The Small Business Spotlight series highlights South and West side business that have taken part in the Polsky Exchange’s Small Business Growth Program. Learn more about these exceptional businesses.