By Jeni Asaba
In 1923, one local businessman opened the doors of a retail Garden of Eden to the people of Westchester Square. Now, almost 90 years later, On the Square Flower Shop still offers residents genuine, personalized service and a high quality product.
Charlie Mastros, a Greek-American man with a vision, first opened the small, humble shop at 125 Westchester Square as a way to share his passion for flowers with the community.
In 1957 he passed the shop on to friend Ted Katsiris, who in turn sold the business to nephew and current owner John Katsiris.
Having made the difficult move from Greece to New York at the young age of 15, Katsiris said he instantly found comfort in floral shops, an atmosphere reminiscent of his life on the farm in his homeland.
While Katsiris went on to study economics at Queens College, he never ventured too far from him home roots. In order to pay for his education, Katsiris found employment at various floral venues, gathering valuable skills along the way.
Upon graduation, time was on his side. Katsiris took over his uncle
