Plant and gift boutique en concordia, celebrating its ninth year in Point Loma Village, is bigger, better, and in a new crossroads location.
Formerly at 1021 Rosecrans St., the shop has relocated to 3021 Canon St. in a much larger retail space with plenty of foot traffic. There you will find a cornucopia of items for the household and garden including plants, soaps, candles, and children’s stuffed animals and toys, greeting cards, women’s earrings, and even Christmas trees which came early this year. Some of those trees are pink, which Thompson Renfro said is because “We wanted something that made people smile when they came in.”
The store name, Spanish for “in harmony,” references Concordia, the Roman goddess of harmony. The boutique is owned and operated by Theresa Thompson Renfro who, on her website, shopenconcordia.com, notes: “I’ve always had a thing for plants back to my grandparents. Fast forward to 2009 when volunteering at my daughter’s elementary school evolved into designing elementary school garden programs, teaching families and educators how to cultivate edible gardens. Somewhat by chance, I merged my before-kids career in business and teaching ESL privately, and at SDSU and SDCC, into a mom-life happy garden place.”
Of her business, Thompson Renfro said: “It’s plant, and plant-based things and things for people who have an organic lifestyle and spiritual grounding. I worked with plants in a plant shop in high school, then I got into helping my kid’s school with a gardening program. Our first iteration of en concordia was more edible food and pantry items. Then we evolved into this by just supporting what the customer wants.”
Thompson Renfro added one of the things they do best is helping people who “don’t” have a green thumb. Her advice for fledgling gardeners is to “find someone who knows plants. It’s kind of like learning to cook. It’s something that gets passed down from one person to the next.”
Touring the various nooks of en concordia, it’s readily apparent the owner and staff “love kids” as well as their toys. Thompson Renfro pointed out they get a lot of people in their store from the tourist industry as well as locals and people driving down from out of town “because of what we carry,” which she added includes “a lot of healthy things that are just fun to eat and share.”
The boutique owner notes she carries household plants for people who are “chasing happy spaces, and that’s what the plants are about more than anything.”
“It’s been an absolute dream so far,” said en concordia team member Victoria Soto, a former barista, who met Thompson Renfro at a stressful time in her business. “I offered to help, then we got this huge space,” she added. “And it was good stuff. I’ve learned so much.”
What does Soto like best about working for en concordia. “Being able to connect with people on a different level than customer service,” she answered. “It’s been really fun to make people happy here.”
“We have a very positive crowd, very nice people,” concurred Thompson Renfro.
“A loving crowd too, people who care,” concluded Soto.
EN CONCORDIA
Where: 3021 Canon St.
Info: shopenconcordia.com, 619-539-7309.
