The Founder of This Phoenix Florist/Café Hybrid Might Be the Youngest Owner of a Retail Store in the Country

Madeline NguyenNovember 20, 2023

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For 17-year-old Dylan Capshaw, the plans for his half-flower shop, half-cafe Stemistry used to be a daydream he entertained during class his sophomore year of high school. But two years later, he might be the youngest owner of a retail store in the country – after he persuaded his parents to sign the store’s lease. “I was like, ‘I’m 15. I’m either going to lose [the money], or it’ll be worth it,’” Capshaw says. The floral-themed cafe was born from his two passions: the online flower store he opened when he was 14 and his longtime love for coffee. During his junior year, he opened the store before first period and headed back to work after extracurriculars. Now, he makes sure he doesn’t work weekends – those are for being a teenager.

The doors of Stemistry’s flagship location opened in Scottsdale last year, and the business soon blossomed into a second site in Downtown Phoenix’s historical Heritage Square. Walking into Stemistry is a little like wandering into the rose garden in Alice in Wonderland – if it were in the middle of the desert. The unmistakable perfume of natural blooms wafts throughout the shop, emanating from the botanical varieties on display at the cafe’s signature build-your-own bouquet bar: prehistoric-looking pincushion proteas and blushing English roses, just to name a few. Customers can arrange their own bouquets with the expert help of a florist and then sip floral drinks, from a pink rose latte to lavender soda. “We’re not just a coffee shop or a flower shop,” Capshaw says. “We’re an experience.”