Top City Flower Truck

ANY BUSINESS OWNER knows that going out on your own requires big risks. Abby Lanum gave up her full-time digital marketing job to start the Top City Flower Truck, a mobile flower shop that sells locally sourced flower bouquets from a cheery, holly green pick-up truck. To Lanum, going mobile seemed less risky than a store front.

“To me, the biggest aspect was not having to worry about getting stuck in something,” she said. “As a first-time business owner, owning property or leasing just sounded too intimidating.”

Lanum’s 1964 Ford F100, affectionately named Fiona, represents more than just a way out of monthly rent payments. Fiona is the symbol of Top City Flower Truck. Knowing her vehicle’s aesthetic would be a crucial part of attracting customers, Lanum was picky about the one she chose.

“I knew I wanted something that would create a lot of curb appeal,” Lanum said, noting how a sidestep, or the hump over the wheel, was one of her nonnegotiables.

Her search led her to Fiona.

With the help of her grandfather, who collects classic cars, and her uncle, Lanum was able to make some repairs to the antique truck, plus add some customizations, like a bouquet-holder for the truck bed.

After her touch up was complete, Fiona hit the Topeka streets for the first time in June. Since then, Lanum has parked the truck at First Fridays, the Topeka Farmer’s Market, Cider Days and other pop-up markets around the city.

While the colorful wild flower bouquets are eye-catching, Lanum said the truck is often what brings people over.

““It provokes a lot of memories for people when they see it. And it always makes them smile, even if they can’t stop and buy flowers,” Lanum said. ”

“My favorite part, so far, is seeing how happy the truck makes everyone when they look at it.”

For social media savvy customers, it is almost impossible to resist posting a picture of Fiona. And, as a former digital marketer, that’s exactly what Lanum envisioned.

“When I was looking for a truck, I knew I wanted it be something people would want to take a picture of or with. And that’s happened a lot,” she said.

Lanum has capitalized on her truck’s Instagram-worthy aesthetic by creating stickers. Featuring an illustration of Fiona with wild flowers popping out of the truck bed, they sell for $2 each. Three weeks into selling the stickers, Lanum had sold about 30 percent of her inventory.

Along with her digital marketing background, Lanum’s warm personality likely also fuels business.

“When you are a mobile business, it’s just you and your vehicle. There’s no other people, or a store for people to walk around,” she said. “I think being an extrovert probably helps. Being friendly in general helps.”

When not parked at local events, Lanum rents her truck to local photographers, a side hustle that will keep Fiona in demand after the growing season ends in late October.

For a mobile business like Top City Flowers, expansion could mean more trucks. But, for now, Lanum is content with simply bringing Fiona to more events and eventually expanding her merchandise line.

“I’m really happy with my little Ford Fiona,” Lanum said. “I don’t want to get so busy that it’s not fun for me anymore.”