Business Focus: Buttercup Cottage

From Left to Right:
Dee Dee Ward, Cynthia Hance, Kimberley Soria, Lisa Haynes (Owner)

Photos By Claudia Kirkwood

There’s a new girl in town, quite charming and delightful! Her name is Buttercup. Well, to be a bit more exact, there is a new ladies’ boutique in historic downtown Huntsville, and yes, it is quite charming and delightful! Its name, you ask? “The Buttercup Cottage Boutique.” Let’s go in and get acquainted with Lisa Haynes and her new business which opened this past September.

Lisa is a commercial real estate broker from Houston who is Chief Operating Officer of Regional Properties Texas, a third-party property management company started five years ago. With over 155 shopping centers, it has grown to be one of the largest management companies in Houston and the surrounding counties. With success in this endeavor, Lisa continues to expand her horizons with innovative ideas and ventures, one being The Buttercup Cottage Boutique. She and her family have had a lake house here for over the past forty years and now reside just between Trinity and Lovelady, loving the quiet country living and small-town charm of this area, and working in Houston during the week. When the idea came to open a ladies’ boutique in downtown Huntsville, she moved ahead with determination and enthusiasm. When Lisa has an idea, she makes it happen with success and style!

This newest endeavor, The Buttercup Cottage, is a ladies’ boutique which specializes in one-of-a-kind outfits in sizes ranging from Small to 3X and includes styles to meet the needs of the curvier woman. As Lisa states, “Once I order a particular top, bottom, jacket or dress, I never order that same design again, ensuring the customer will feel confident in wearing it!” The only items reordered on a regular basis are staples such as camisoles, items basic to one’s wardrobe.

To avoid competition with other local boutiques, Lisa buys from a market not represented by other businesses is this area. As Lisa explains, “I don’t want to compete with other boutiques, but want everyone to be successful. We need to look out for each other in hopes that we can all have thriving businesses and satisfied customers.” Her California supplier represents multiple designers and is able to give quick service, with new styles obtainable in a short amount of time. And by buying small quantities on each design, she can test out a designer and know the quality and marketability of their fashions in this area. The response has been very positive from local shoppers. Customers love the styles The Buttercup Cottage offers and have enjoyed the uniqueness of their purchases.

With target ages of 18-80+, a wide variety of styles can be found as customers search through the large array of fashions for new and unique treasures. A layaway service is offered as well. As Lisa mentioned, they appreciate their clientele who are young, work hard, and must pay for their purchases over time. The layaway service is especially helpful when buying a gown for a gala, a prom, or other high-profile event.

In addition to gowns and current and fashionable styles, The Buttercup Cottage features seasonal attire for special local events. Going to a rodeo? Grab a pair of adorable jeans, specialty t-shirt, boots, and belt. Add sparkle with some dazzling earrings and necklace and go WOW the crowd! Time for a stroll on the beach or that much-anticipated cruise? Nothing less will do than to accessorize your sensational beach attire with a colorful sunhat, cute sandals, and those all-important sunshades to look so cool on such a sweltering day or as you parade past the onlookers on the Promenade deck! Whatever the need, check out their inventory to find the latest and greatest in clothing, jewelry, shoes, sandals, handbags, sports bras, and much more.

Need a bridesmaid or other special occasion gift? The capable and friendly staff at The Buttercup Cottage will help you assemble a gift sack to include a specialty t-shirt, cozy bathrobe, fragrant bath bomb, or other eye-catching find to please the most discriminating of tastes. You have considerable choices at your fingertips! When new merchandise arrives, many of the styles will be debuted on The Buttercup Cottage Facebook page, with the inventory also available for perusing on the website, TheButtercupCottage.com. Staff members will even call customers or snap and send a picture of an outfit when a sought-after style arrives that they know will please!

Lisa, with her busy schedule, is very appreciative of loyal employees (her friends Kimberley, Dee Dee and Cynthia) who keep the inventory stocked and the business running smoothly. They are experienced and always ready to help each customer with any question or need. Each purchase is placed in The Buttercup Cottage branded sack and adorned with tissue and tulle. No expense is spared in making a purchase from The Buttercup Cottage a memorable one. And, on a rainy day when a customer arrives without an umbrella, she leaves fully covered by an umbrella supplied by the boutique, another service that says, “We care about our customers!”

The Buttercup Cottage is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and will be hosting the Chamber After Hours on May 24th, at 5:15 pm. The boutique is also a member in the Downtown Business Alliance and the Main Street Program and regularly participates in all downtown activities and events including “AMEX Shop Small, Shop Local,” “Fair on the Square,” “Christmas on the Square,” “Paint the Town Pink,” the “Bacon and Brew Festival,” and the “Wine Down, Shop Small” event, which is scheduled for May 3rd from 5-9 PM in the downtown area. The store is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM. As days get longer, hours may be expanded as a convenience, so those who work will have more time to shop.

Huntsville is a growing community and is fortunate that the downtown area has retained its small-town charm, a feat not so easily accomplished in this day and age. As Lisa shared, “It is fun to be surrounded by antique shops, cafes, and other businesses and boutiques that help make Huntsville the charming city that it is. I am so thrilled that The Buttercup Cottage can call Huntsville home and be a part of the vitality of this historic downtown area.”

The Buttercup Cottage is located at 1117 12th Street in historic downtown Huntsville and is found online at TheButtercupCottage.com, and The Buttercup Cottage Facebook page.