July 17, 2026 – West Bend, Wi – After more than 40 years at 319 S. Main Street, the building that has long been home to Bits ‘n’ Pieces Floral has been listed for sale. But owner Deb Bohn wants customers to know one thing right away: the floral business isn’t closing. Instead, Bits ‘n’ Pieces Floral will relocate to a smaller location on Main Street while continuing to serve customers. The property is listed for sale with Tom Zernia and BOSS Realty.
Bohn said the decision to sell the 5,000-square-foot property has been years in the making.
“We’ve probably been talking about this the last five years,” she said. “We just need a smaller space.”
The highly-visible corner property includes the main building, two rental units, three parking lots across Kilbourn Avenue and a two-car garage. While the property is currently being marketed as one package, Bohn said any future decisions regarding splitting the property would depend on potential offers.
For Bohn, the move isn’t about leaving the floral business. It’s about finding a building that better matches today’s operation.
“We don’t have all the things we needed a big building for 40 years ago,” she said.
Years ago, Bits ‘n’ Pieces maintained 20 to 30 commercial plant rental accounts throughout the area, servicing businesses including banks, factories and corporations. That portion of the business disappeared during the economic downturn in 2008 as companies cut nonessential expenses.
“The first thing to go were the nice-to-haves,” Bohn said.
A longstanding, family owned business, Bits ‘n’ Pieces operated out of two other locations before calling S. Main Street home.
Owner Pat Bohn started the small storefront business with his brother in the basement of Chapman’s Meat Market in Barton on the corner of N. Main and School Place.
The Bohn brothers worked the shop as a side business carrying crafts, a couple plants and some terrariums.
Over time the plants got bigger, hanging baskets were brought into the mix and the brothers looked for a larger location.
They settled in 1976 on the south end of town in the Westfair Mall.
At the Mall with Prescott’s Super Value, Bits ‘n’ Pieces was located across from Rose Maries Hair Design and West Bend Savings and Loan, next door was Monarch Studio, Wooden Nickel and Allen Hron.
It was there Bits ‘n’ Pieces installed its first water wheel, Pat’s sister Mary Bilgo jumped into the business, and a black mynah bird named George found a home.
“He would whistle at the customers; we got him from Walden’s Supper Club,” remembered Deb Bohn. “We did wedding flowers for them and the state came and told the owners they couldn’t have a bird in the restaurant and they asked if we’d take him and we said sure.”
George was the start of the store menagerie which soon included a black Maine Coon cat named Sanka Coffee, assorted goldfish, and another popular cat Gracie May; rescue cats from the Washington County Humane Society.
Family members expanded the operation over the years, adding floral design, gifts and specialty services. Bohn recalled creating balloon arches for President Ronald Reagan during his July 27, 1987 visit to West Bend.
In 1986, the Bohns took advantage of a generous offer from Richard Larson Sr. to move into their own building, their current location.
In 1988, there were three other buildings on that triangle corner off Kilbourn Avenue and Main Street. The southern-most building was the Klinka Olds Agency, later Schwartzburg Olds. That auto dealership building was remodeled and turned into the flower store. The spacious basement alone can accommodate about 15 vehicles, a reminder of the property’s automotive history.
There was also a small residence occupied by a member of the Weinert family and on the triangle point was the Reisse Paint Store and living quarters; a building originally built by the Fink brothers after the Civil War in the late 1870s.
Those buildings were torn down and a greenhouse was added.
Over the years the Bohns and Bits ‘n’ Pieces churned through the seasons and the cycles of life. Their arrangements were ever present at family gatherings and funerals including godfathers of the community like Tom Rolfs, Leander Schmidt, and the father of NASCAR’s Robbie Reiser.
Family was as constant as flowers at Bits ‘n’ Pieces, the small shop gained a reputation for budding employees who blossomed into their own businesses including Charlene Jung at Design Originals in Hartford, Anne Dietenberger at Elegance in Bloom Floral in Germantown and The Flowersmith.
The family operation has made it this long because they “truly care,” say customers and “service matters.”
Store manager Izzy Shutts, has worked at Bits ‘n’ Pieces for nine years. She said the transition represents the next chapter for both the business and Bohn.
“Deb wants to retire and this building is a lot of work,” said Shutts. “We’re going to relocate and hopefully switch everything into my name. Deb’s going to work for me for a little bit, and then she’ll retire when she feels it’s the right time.”
A link to the listing for Bits ‘n’ Pieces Floral at BOSS Realty will be posted HERE later today
At just 24 years old, Shutts said the business has changed dramatically over the years, with the vast majority of orders now arriving online rather than from walk-in customers.
“I would say about 85-percent of our sales are online now, besides big holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day,” she said. “As much as I’d love to stay here, it’s ultimately too big for us.”
The new location has not yet been selected, but Shutts said staying on Main Street is a priority.
“We’ve thought about downtown, but realistically I don’t think that’s feasible for the business. We have wedding pickups on Saturdays, deliveries on holidays, and the traffic downtown would make that difficult.”
She acknowledged leaving the longtime location will be emotional.
“I think it’ll be bittersweet when we leave,” Shutts said. “But it’s time for someone else’s dream to come true in this building.”
Both Bohn and Shutts emphasized the same message they hope customers hear.
“We don’t want people to think just because we’re selling the building that we’re going out of business,” Shutts said. “The business will still stay. We’re just moving.”
Customers can continue to expect the same floral designs, gifts and service they have come to know for decades, simply from a new Main Street address once the move is complete.
What a wonderful, thoughtful article! It shows the heart of West Bend and the amazing relationships Bits and Pieces has with the community! There will still be “bits and pieces” of this flower shop in the hearts of West Benders- it will just be another place to grow new memories!