Flourishing in Chicagoland
for Over a Century
The year was 1923. Warren G. Harding passed away unexpectedly at age 57, and Calvin Coolidge became the 30th U.S. president. The first Yankee Stadium opened in the Bronx. Louis Armstrong made his first recording, and Roy and Walt Disney founded the Walt Disney Company. It was the "Roaring Twenties." Chicago was booming. Al Capone led an empire of crime in the Windy City, and James A. Phillip opened the first Phillip's Flowers shop in a rented storefront on Cermak Road in Cicero, IL, an early, thriving suburb of Chicago.
James, or "Senior " as he was affectionately called, didn't pick the flower business as much as it picked him. His father was a gardener in Austria before immigrating to the U.S., and he passed his love of flowers on to his son. When James was in his early teens, his father passed away, and James had to drop out of school to become the breadwinner for his family. He worked for a Chicago florist, delivering flowers by streetcar in the city and helping around the shop to learn floral design. He tried other jobs as well, including work with the railroad, but ultimately decided that the flower business was "as good as any, and better than most. " Phillip's Flowers was born in that rented Cicero storefront in 1923.
A grandchild recalls James recounting how he designed and delivered florals to a couple of parties that Capone reportedly might have attended, and how the young florist could only hope that someone would pay him on delivery so he could buy more flowers for his shop the next day. Times were tough. Fortunately, someone did pay, and the little flower shop flourished just like its flowers.
It was in Cicero that James met his wife Helen, who was a bookkeeper at the nearby Western Electric Plant. Together, they built a bigger storefront for Phillip's Flowers just a few blocks away with an apartment upstairs where they could begin raising their family. The business soon became a wonderful combination of nurturing both flowers and family, and it has stayed that way ever since.
The couple had three children: J.R., Lee, and Russ, whom they raised in the early years in the small apartment above their shop. Lee went on to host a daily news and interview show on CBS TV in Chicago, where some of her coworkers affectionately called her "Petunia" because she had grown up playing on the sidewalk in front of the flower shop. Of course, all three children helped in the family enterprise throughout their college years.
One day after Lee graduated from college, she helped her big brother demonstrate flower design on a local Chicago television show. A studio light crashed down on the flowers just before the live telecast, but with a little last-minute scrambling and a lot of composure, the segment aired successfully enough that they were both invited back. J.R. wasn't available the second time, so Lee agreed to go alone, and her award-winning career as one of television's first female news and interview hosts soon followed.
J.R. and Russ stayed with the family flower business, opening additional Phillip's Flowers in La Grange Park, Oak Brook, and beyond. Russ is still actively involved today, along with five other full-time family members from the third and fourth generations, and more than 150 other dedicated floral professionals who excel at floral designs and customer service.
"Over the years, so many wonderful people have been part of our team," said Russ Phillip, "they're the real secret to our success."
In 2023, Phillip's Flowers celebrated its 100th year as a local family business. As Senior often said, "Being good to your customer always comes first." The second, third, and fourth generations agree. "It's not an easy business," said Don Phillip, "but flowers give people so much joy and comfort, and that's always been our greatest reward."
Alongside Derek Phillip, the third generation of Phillip's Flowers, fourth-generation florist, Kevin McCarthy is leading the brand into the next century and beyond, while preserving its rich heritage. In 2025, the McCarthy family, longtime friends of the Phillip family, purchased the beloved Chicagoland flower shop.
Phillip's Flowers has grown exponentially over the past century, including the addition of a 30,000 sq. ft. central production and design center. Today, the brand may be best known for its attractively merchandised flower shops in Elmhurst, Hinsdale, La Grange Park, Naperville, Westmont, and Wheaton, its daily deliveries in Chicago and over 150 suburbs, and its beautiful floral designs for every occasion from weddings and anniversaries to birthdays and celebrations of life.
Over the years, Phillip's Flowers has provided fresh florals for many memorable Chicagoland events and visitors, including the Chicago Auto Show, multiple presidential dinners, and the Papal Mass in Grant Park. The company is ranked among the top 1% of North American florists by both FTD and Teleflora. It has also been named a Loyola Family Business of the Year and an Illinois Retail Merchant of the Year, and received the Century Award from the Society of American Florists.
