We talked to: Turning Leaf Dispensary
We talked to Turning Leaf
We recently had a lovely conversation with Nicole from Turning Leaf in Northampton. Check out what she had to say about the newly-opened dispensary!
Congrats on your recent opening on King Street! How are things going overall for the business in these uncertain times?
Things are going really well so far! We’ve got a truly awesome team. And Northampton could not be a more welcoming community. From the Mayor coming to view the space before we opened to give us his blessing to the Chamber offering recommendations for a bagpiper to local bands and food trucks coming and showing support, we just feel so incredibly grateful. The local artists that participated in Budstock were amazing, and we feel so optimistic moving forward on further collaborations with local artists and musicians. The outreach and sense of community have been phenomenal.
What made Turning Leaf choose Northampton as a new dispensary location?
What’s not to love about our location? With the incredible arts and culture community in this area, the vibe just lends itself to what we are trying to do here. We see it as a bigger vision, not just a dispensary. We wanted to find the perfect large space to “flip the script” of dispensaries and add a Craft Bar for our customers. We love being able to interact with and engage our customers, rather than just have a transactional relationship where they make their purchase and promptly leave. We encourage folks to stay, ask questions from our budtenders, and learn. Even folks who think they know all there is to know about cannabis find that they can learn something! We want to take the mystery out of it by truly making people feel comfortable and taken care of. There are so many new products and uses; the craft bar serves up everything cannabis! Learn how to roll the perfect pre-roll, see product demonstrations, and even have a private party. King Street is easy to get to from all places in Northampton, and the bus even stops right in front of our dispensary. With solid Western Mass roots and spirit, the owners couldn’t think of a better location than Northampton and King street.
Are your customers adhering to the mask-wearing rule, or have you encountered some resistance?
People have been really good, and very conscientious about social distancing. We have all of our events approved by the Board of Health, and have the proper shields in place and cleaning products available to keep our staff and patrons safe.
What positive things have you learned during this crazy time?
While there are some things you can’t plan for--such as a pandemic!--you can have the right attitude about it, and we definitely have that. We have managed to get open and stay on track and on pace, and our team has done so in an admirable way, with an amazing spirit. We are so excited to see what’s next for Turning Leaf as we settle into this wonderful, thriving community of Northampton.
