SPRINGFIELD – At a time when most people are happy with retirement, Frank Langone is coming back to work.

The owner of Langone’s Florist – now known as Frank’s Flowers – on Main Street in the South End has reopened his business, an anchor in the neighborhood.

Langone explained that for him running his flower shop isn’t work, it’s pleasure.

Langone started in the business in 1970 when he saw a greenhouse, bought it and installed it in his back yard. He grew plants for sale, but then expanded into a shop near his home.

“It kept growing,” he said.

Langone the business was “a family thing” with his mother and wife Irma helping him.

In 2009, though, Langone deiced to retire and sold the business. He remained the owner of the building, though.

When that business closed, Langone, at age 75, decided to come back.

“Retirement didn’t agree with me. I was itching to get back and do something,” he said.

Langone has cleaned up his building and repainted it in order to reopen on Feb. 1.

He said his business is a “full value florist” and added, “We’ll treat our customers like we treated them before.”

Langone said he loves his South End neighborhood.

“I’m a firm believer in it,” he said.

Business in the neighborhood made his shop one of the top-earning florist shops in the nation, Langone said.

While he acknowledged, “the South End can be a tough spot,” he explained his success was based on “how you treat your customers and what you give them.”

He is encouraged by the construction of MGM Springfield down the street from his shop.

“No one else wants to invest $1 billion in Springfield, MA,” he said. Langone added he believes the casino will be “good for the city and good for the South End.”

He emphasized though, “If the casino wasn’t coming I’d still be opening the door and still be in the South End.”