Roni Shop (Flourist)

Robert met Nicole, the daughter of one of his father’s biggest clients, for whom she made bouquets. They got married and naturally decided to open their first Roni Fleurs store – “Ro” for Robert and “Ni” for Nicole – in 1971 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, followed by the second in Juan-les-Pins, in 1984. Since then, their four children – Jean-Marie, Emmanuel, Nicolas and Audrey – have in turn become intoxicated by this passion for flowers. Their playground was a field of roses where their games of hide and seek left their skin scratched with fond memories.

And like the children of all traders, their first steps into the world of work would be in the family business, on the ground floor of the house, dedicated to the composition and packaging of bouquets. You might think then that they would all be eager to take over the business, but they had very different ambitions. Their childhood dreams were fulfilled with archaeologists, patrons and restaurateurs.

But fate decides otherwise. One thing led to another and, unknowingly, the four children found themselves holding the reins of Roni Fleurs about 20 years ago. From there, their inspiration was guided by that of the great florists like Christian Tortu who marked the history of floral art, and by the time which blew the dust of trade to deposit flowers in the heart of its concerns.

Different but complementary, the Barelier children were also intelligent enough to be guided by their own sensitivity, polished by an innovative spirit inherited from their elders, true precursors in the flower business – their maternal grandfather launched pre-packaged bouquets that ‘he sent all over the world, while their paternal grandfather was the first to create bouquets of exotic flowers.