Norwalk recreational cannabis dispensary opens
NORWALK — Even with blustery 29-degree weather and 31 mph wind gusts, a growing line of customers couldn’t be deterred from the city’s first recreational cannabis dispensary on its opening day.
The Fine Fettle location at 191 Main St. opened Thursday with a 20 percent discount for customers’ first purchase at the location, with an added bonus that customers who sign up for the rewards program on opening day will earn a lifetime 15 percent discount at all of the company’s locations.
Regional Manager Ryan Green said that customers started lining up at 8:30 a.m., a half hour before the store’s opening.
Green got to work at about 7:30 a.m., though, filling preorders for customers — at that time, there were over 230, he said.
“People are excited,” the regional manager said.
At about 9 a.m., Jon Mace, of Weston, said he’ll be a regular at the Norwalk Fine Fettle.
“It’s closer to where I live, so I don’t have to go to Stamford,” Mace said.
Also at the grand opening was a group of small businesses, some part of Fine Fettle’s Family Tree program, which Ben Zachs, the company’s chief operating officer, called an “internal chamber of commerce” in February.
In the program, Fine Fettle partners with local businesses to provide reciprocal discount codes, deals and shout-outs on the company’s social media, emails and website, Zachs said last month.
Jeff Feldman, owner of Blazin’ J’s, used to have a storefront but now operates his business as a pop-up mobile shop, often at Fine Fettle locations, he said.
“I’m blessed to work with them,” Feldman said, referring to his partnership with Fine Fettle.
At his table at the grand opening pop-up shop, he sold pipes, bongs and other smoking paraphernalia.
Another purveyor of smoking paraphernalia, Paul LeTroadec, said he sells his items at all Fine Fettle shops from his business, Bearded Wood.
“I had my stuff in the stores before the Family Tree program,” he said. “So, it was just natural to become part of the program.”
Green said the pop-up shop would last all day.
Drea Ceballos, of Norwalk, another customer on line, said she had been looking forward to the dispensary opening in the months leading up to the launch.
“I’m trying to have some fun,” she said. “It’s nice that (dispensaries) are opening in Norwalk.”
Fine Fettle beat to market its local competitor, Shangri-La Dispensaries, which will open a location at 430 Main Ave. Shangri-La’s CEO Nevil Patel did not provide a comment or update on the company’s incoming Norwalk location, which will be its first on the East Coast.
Patel estimated last month that the location would open in the last week of February, but as of Wednesday evening, the storefront’s signs were still covered by blank banners.
Fine Fettle’s opening comes just under a year out from when the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission issued a special permit for the dispensary.
“Everyone is hyped,” Zachs said last week.