- Updated: Mar. 07, 2024, 7:41 a.m. | Published: Mar. 07, 2024, 7:30 a.m.
- By: Sean Teehan | steehan@syracuse.com
The Greenery Spot officially opened its doors on July 29, becoming the second legal dispensary to open in the Binghamton area.
Business at the Johnson City store has been good so far, said Chris Myers, who founded the company. In fact, Myers said his long-term plans for The Greenery Spot revolve around growing and expanding.
In a Q&A with NY Cannabis Insider, Myers answered questions about what customers are buying, his business experience before cannabis and his thoughts about different challenges in New York’s legal weed industry.
How many full-time and part-time workers do you employ?
15 employees.
What kinds of products are selling the most?
No. 1 is flower, then vapes and then edibles.
What brands are selling the most?
DANK, Electraleaf, Off Hours, Gage Farm, Ayrloom, Hudson Cannabis, NY Honey, MFNY, Nanticoke, ROVE, Jaunty, 1906.
Which demographics do you see as your target market?
Anybody and everybody over age 21.
Can you describe your business experience outside of cannabis?
I helped run a family-owned Italian restaurant for 15 years.
How does that experience translate to running a cannabis dispensary?
I can’t thank the restaurant owner, John, enough for the knowledge he passed along to me. Having free reins in the business for 15 years made it incredibly easy to run the day-to-day operations at the dispensary.
How much of a problem do illicit cannabis shops present to your business?
I’ve never been worried about the shops, it’s the delivery services that hurt a little.
Are you worried about competing with adult-use dispensaries owned by ROs?
No, I just need to make sure I come to play. Make friends along the way rather than enemies.
Can you tell us about your long-term plans for your store?
Expand, expand, expand. Man, I applied for a general license so I could open more but I wasn’t approved. Hopefully, they allow two more locations with CAURD license sooner rather than later.
What state cannabis policies/regulations do you think are the most helpful to your business?
Testing and reporting.
What state cannabis policies/regulations do you think present the most challenges to your business?
Taxes and advertising.
Can you describe how you’re hiring and training employees?
I’m not experiencing the high turnover rate for dispensary employees. I currently still have all my day-one employees.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs planning on opening dispensaries?
Do ALL your homework and investigate every aspect of the business such as banking regulations, POS systems, security, display cases and fabrications, insurance, cannabis attorneys and accountant, state compliance and guidance, and HR/payroll.
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