From PR To Petals: How Cherry Bomb Mercantile Blooms As A Toronto Gem

Nestled in the heart of Toronto, Cherry Bomb Mercantile is more than just a floral and gift shop—it’s a vibrant community hub. Founded by Sarah Charlton-Galle, a former PR professional turned floral artist, the shop brings together hand-crafted goods, creative workshops, and heartfelt community initiatives. Dive into our Q&A with Sarah to uncover her inspiring journey from corporate life to cultivating a space that’s blooming with connection and creativity. —Noa Nichol

What inspired you to leave your career in public relations and communications to open Cherry Bomb Mercantile, and how has the journey been so far?

I had worked as a florist in my late teens and early 20s and loved it!  Always said that one day I would open my own flower store. Communications was an amazing career that I loved, but during the pandemic became very stressful and I also turned 50 during that time and took a hard look at what I wanted the rest of my career to look like and decided that it was now or never for my flower shop dream. With the support of my family and sensing a real need in my community I took the leap.

Cherry Bomb Mercantile has become more than just a store—it’s a community hub. What inspired you to integrate workshops, clothing swaps, and partnerships with local artisans into your business model?

I didn’t just want to have a store – I wanted to make connections with people in my community. Flower stores are where people celebrate the highs and lows of life – thankfully more highs than lows, and the store has become a place where organic conversations happen – heartwarming, informative and often hilarious! I am very lucky to be in a community that feels strongly about supporting local and small businesses in an area of the city that is mostly full of big box corporate stores. Holding workshops is an opportunity for people to come out for an evening of fun and learning and meeting other people in the community. As the business owner I have to say that the community portion of my store is one of the best parts of what I do.

Your store features hand-crafted gifts from local creators. How do you go about selecting the artisans and products that align with the Cherry Bomb Mercantile vision?

Partnerlng with local artisans provides them an opportunity for more people to see their beautiful work in a store environment and aligns with my vision of supporting local makers and businesses in the community. During the pandemic many of these local artisans really grew their followings through online community groups on facebook and had strong followings which made it an ideal fit with my store. Many people search out these local artisans through my store specifically. I am not a consignment store so I purchase all of the products and carefully curate what I carry to fit with my vision and taste. I am also very lucky to now call many of these artisans my friends.

Your wreath and holiday planter workshops are popular in the community. What makes these events so special, and why do you think they resonate with people during the holiday season?

My workshops are always fun and people leave with something beautiful they have made themselves but it does feel different at the holidays. We put on some holiday music and have a glass of wine and chat while we work. Most groups are full of people who have never met and by the end of the evening we have all had a good laugh and gotten to know each other. It’s a highlight of the holiday season for me and I love seeing the unique creativity of everyone’s work shine through in what they create.

Your clothing swap supports the Pegasus Community Project. Can you share more about this initiative and why it’s important to you to incorporate social impact into your business?

The clothing swaps have fostered more community involvement while supporting a program that helps adults with physical and mental disabilities which I feel very strongly about – so it’s a win win! People bring in their items and get tickets to come back and pick up new ones – who doesn’t love getting free threads?! What is left at the end of the swap goes to the Pegasus Project second hand shop and those funds support the programs they run for their clients in need. I also host a private ticketed holiday shopping event in November and all proceeds from the event are donated to the Scarborough Food Security Initiative – this year we donated $275. I have always tried throughout my life both personally and professionally to give back to communities in need and feel lucky I can do it on a bigger scale and get more people involved through the shop.

For others considering a leap from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, what advice or lessons would you share, especially in creating a business rooted in community and connection?

Go for it! If you have the support of your family and see a need that your business can fill I can’t recommend it more! I don’t make the same kind of income I did in my corporate career at this stage, although I feel I’m headed in that direction – but the happiness I get in doing what I love and making the connections in my community is worth it! It’s long days and nights sometimes, but it is all working for yourself so that makes it worth it. I saw a need that I could fill and with a good business plan, family support and backing from TD I knew it was now or never to fulfill my flower shop dream. I haven’t regretted my decision once, even on the bad days. I love my creative job as a florist and love making connections with people in my community and being a part of all of life’s celebrations.