Ward 3 resident Stacie Lee Banks understands that there are two things that are important in her life — flowers and family. As president and CEO of the District’s Lee’s Flower and Card Shop Inc., she talks often about working every day to ensure the business her grandparents co-founded is flourishing and profitable.
“I enjoy working for the family business,” said Banks, 61, who is often spotted doing various duties at the company’s first brick and mortar, 1026 U Street NW. “It is something new every day and I enjoy it. Keeping the grandparents’ legacy going is important to me.”
Banks is one of six legacy family businesses that will be honored by The Washington Informer at its 60th Anniversary Gala on March 28 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Northwest, Washington.
The Lee’s CEO said she appreciates The Informer acknowledging her years of dedicated service as she remains ever-committed to her grandparents’ mission, and works to keep the family legacy going with her own daughter and beyond.
“It makes you feel like your hard work is recognized,” she said. “I am proud to be honored by the Washington Informer.”
The History of Lee’s
Lee’s is a full-service flower shop founded by William and Winnifred Lee in 1945. The business became a staple in the U Street Northwest corridor during the days of the 1940s, 1950s and part of the 1960s — when the street was considered “Black Broadway” in the District.
Throughout the years, Lee’s has survived the 1968 uprising due to the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the exodus of businesses from the corridor shortly afterward followed by the economic decline of the neighborhood; the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s; and the building of the Green Line of Metro.
In 1991, the completion of the Metro jumpstarted the revitalization of the immediate neighborhood within the U Street corridor as new businesses and high-end housing started to set up.
Richard Lee, the son of William and Winifred, joined the company in 1968 and served in management until 2012, when he sold it to his daughters, Banks and her sister, Kristie Lee Jones, who serves as the general manager and co-owner.
The sisters are the third generation to run Lee’s.
[When I am not here, I am thinking about the business,” said Banks. “When I was younger, I would want to say to my grandmother, ‘This business is your whole life, I’ll never be like that.’ But now I see it can morph into your life.”
Sustaining Business, Building Connections, Doing ‘What You Do Best‘
Banks is a native Washingtonian who graduated from McKinley Tech High School in Northeast and studied business management at Howard University. With a passion for serving the community and keeping the family business thriving, Banks has spent her professional career working for Lee’s, and considers it a labor of love.
Banks’ duties include coordinating the execution of large events, managing vendor relations, overseeing back-of-house operations and representing Lee’s at a variety of public events as the company’s spokesperson.
Banks said business flows because of commercial relationships she has with entities such as Howard University, where the company will often do floral arrangements for Charter Day and graduation exercises, and the Congressional Black Caucus. Lee’s has worked with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation for years, providing floral and decoration arrangements for its annual gala during the Annual Legislative Conference in September.
“We have made some valuable contracts through the Congressional Black Caucus,” she said.
Banks also belongs to The Links, a professional group of primarily African American women who value community and public service. Her membership in The Links has also generated business for Lee’s.
One of the keys to Banks’ management of Lee’s is her approach to her sister, other family members and employees.
“I have learned to stay in your lane,” she said. “Do what you do best. My sister and I have disagreements, but we have worked together for years, and we are determined to get along.”
Taking the Business to the Next Level, Continuing the Legacy
Banks has received recognition for her work, including winning the 2018 D.C. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year. Additionally, she received national attention when Lee’s received a $10,000 award from Intuit QuickBooks on behalf of its Small Business Council.
“We are extremely grateful to receive this grant,” said Banks in October 2024. “This gift will allow us to expand our resources and pour into our current and future employees with the benefits that they deserve.”
The business has expanded beyond U Street with a location at Union Station in Northeast, D.C.
The Lee’s CEO’s daughter, Samarah Lee Banks, manages the company’s Union Station shop, and said, in a special Mother’s Day edition of The Washington in May 2024, that her mother is an inspiration to her life and career.
“Having an entrepreneur, business owner, boss lady as a mom is really awesome to me, and I aspire to be just like her,” the younger Banks, who has a 1-year-old daughter, told The Informer. “She’s just taught me so much about business — everything I know, honestly, I owe it to her.”
With 48 years of service, James L. Brown is a delivery driver with Lee’s and its longest-tenured employee. Having seen the shifts of the business over the decades, Brown is proud of Banks’ leadership and said working with her is a wonderful experience.
“She takes after her grandmother,” said Brown, 67. “She knows how the business should be run. Professionalism is important. You must act professionally, and dress professionally. And she treats the employees like family.”
Lee’s did a custom bouquet for me for my friend when her husband died. I’m grateful for their flexibility and for getting the unusual flower there quickly. She seemed to truly appreciate it when she thanked me.