I’m in favor of the amendment allowing cannabis sales at E. 104th & Tower Rd.
But I’m skeptical that Social Cannabis can deliver the promised “premium” build-out. (Source: Applicant Presentation.) Or, decorated “to the nines”, as Josh promised me.
Well Designed Denver-Area Dispensaries
These signal premium and up-market: artistic, playful, a relaxed & un-hurried atmosphere, space left unused, lack of clutter, subtle messaging, orginality. Finally, they all use colors, materials, typography, textures, and lighting to create consistency.
Social Cannabis Dispensaries
S.C. creates ultra-low-budget, down-market build-outs. Plastic Walmart furniture, no flooring, no art, non-matching colors, interiors cluttered with manufacturer marketing materials, papered over windows, messy counters and displays used for storage.
“Throw those out—don’t put those on the bar.” This is what the restaurant owner said to me about the mountain of free beer signs, posters, and table tents we’d get from the distributor. I was a young 23 year old bartender in Cincinnati. It wasn’t a terribly fancy restaurant; there were no linens on the tables. But I learned a valuable lesson from this experience: manufacturers will flood you with marketing materials. It’s up to the establishment to care about the look and feel.
I couldn’t find any decoration or art with the exception of the billboard-sized “Mile High in Colorado” sign in Golden. (The last image, above.) However, its uniqueness plus the large print and placement in front of massive windows gives me the impression of it being an end-run around Golden’s signage regulations: It’s advertisement, visible from hundreds of feet away. Also note that the message, “Mile High…” lacks the upscale subtlety of the other dispensaries.
I’m in touch with S.C. people and attended their presentation. I was very supportive of them until I saw their current stores. Now, of course, my enthusiasm has cooled off. if they responsd, I’ll post it here if they’d like. I’m doing my best not to blindside them: Before making my critique public, I let them know about my position on the issue.
What I’d really like is for Social Cannabis to follow through; to show us how they’ll meet the expectations they set. I believe all it’d take is hiring an interior designer / architect who has experience producing great environments.
Here’s my original letter to the City Council.