What you’ll see at Speakeasy Cannabis Co’s newest Colborne location is plenty of cannabis products at various price points — from flowers, to pre-rolls, and from cannabis-infused drinks to edibles.
But, here’s something you won’t see, at least behind the counter: men
The Colborne location, which began operations a week ago at its downtown King Street location, is a completely female-driven operation, with five women, including location manager Jess Smith, on staff.
“This store is all of us girls,” laughed Smith. “It’s very interesting and not many stores are like that, not many that I know of that are all lady run.”
Chelsea Murray, who’s the general manager for the entire Speakeasy Cannabis Co., is quick to point out the store is customer-service driven, with all of its female staff being knowledgeable about the products sold in the store. And, they’re nice people, too.
“They’re all a delight. I can’t say enough about them,” said Murray.
Murray said the Speakeasy Cannabis Co. has been in operation for the past year and currently has four other locations beyond the new Colborne store, including ones in Cambridge, Bowmanville, Penetanguishine and Midland. She said opening the Colborne store was particularly meaningful as she grew up in the area.
“This one is very close to my heart,” said Murray. “I grew up very close to Colborne, I lived here in my first apartment actually. I love the crowd you interact with here, I love the closeness of the community and the ‘shop local’ vibe and I’m thrilled to be here on the main street.”
Only a week into operations, Murray said there are plenty of signs that the community has not only been accepting but has rolled out the welcome mat to the new cannabis outlet.
Speakeasy Cannabis Co’s products are controlled by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and all of its controlled substances originate from the Ontario Cannabis Store.
“We get weekly delivery and we try to specialize in new and exciting products,” said Murray. “Our employees are active users of our products, so it’s almost like Christmas Day when a new shipment comes in.”
The Speakeasy Cannabis Co. outlet stocks dried flower, pre-rolls, edibles and also specializes in topicals like CBD and THC creams, bath balms and the like at competitive prices. Murray is especially confident its customers will enjoy the selection of edibles at the store.
“We have some of the best edibles you can get your hands on. The cookies, oh my gawd, we have delicious cookies,” she said.
The cannabis-infused drinks are also popular, she said.
“They take the THC extract and they infuse that into the beverages. What I like about the beverages is it has a quicker onset effect than most edibles. Because it’s a liquid, it doesn’t have to break down in your stomach, so you feel the effects a little bit quicker than with an edible,” she said.
What separates Speakeasy Cannabis Co. from other cannabis retailers? Murray mentions three items that make it distinct: Customer service, its ambiance and its line of beauty products.
The store employees project a friendly vibe onto its customers to make them feel welcome, said Murray.
“We try to make you feel like you’re walking into a room with friends or family. We remember your name and what you bought the last time you were in,” said Murray.
Smith said the location has already developed a regular clientele in the week since it opened.
“We already have our regulars and it’s nice to see. You have people checking in to say hi even if they’re not buying anything. It’s really quite cool,” said Smith.
The location also accommodates deliveries in the Colborne area, with the service available from Monday to Friday from noon to 7 p.m.
The ambiance of the Speakeasy Cannabis Co is striking. It’s like walking into one of the speakeasys of the roaring 20s, complete with a number of antiques from that era.
“We try to merge the modern day aesthetic with an early 20s and earlier vibe as well,” said Murray. “We have a lot of authentic antiques at all our locations and we rotate them on a monthly basis. We have antique clocks, antique microphones, telephones, it’s kind of adventure in itself to explore the displays that we’ve got.”
As a esthetician, Smith is thrilled the Colborne outlet is also stocking such cannabis beauty products as face creams, serums, lip balms, and face masks.
“They smell fantastic and are beautiful,” said Smith, who also operates a small, local spa and adds the beauty products “is our baby project and we’re so excited to be able to offer (them).”
Speakeasy Cannabis Co. in Colborne is at 33 King St. It’s open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 905-355-5353.
