There are a number of cannabis retail stores opening around the city, but Cannabis Jacks on Cassells wants to set itself apart by being part of the community it serves.
The store held its grand opening recently.
See: New cannabis store open in North Bay
Tom Laronde, co-owner of the local Cannabis Jacks says he and his partners John Shelegey and Steve Beaudry have been involved in the restaurant business locally, owning a number of Subway shops, but felt the need to do something different.
"After 26 years we started selling our stores," he recounts. Then COVID hit.
"We still had three stores which we kept open, kept a small staff, the ones who had been with us for a long time. We committed pay and hours to them so they wouldn't need CERB. I can't express how much support we had from the people of North Bay. Not one employee missed a paycheck. We made sure they were employed to the end."
But the three wanted a new adventure.
"We're all getting old. We're all getting tired of the restaurant business. We wanted something new to get us going."
To reward those long-term employees for their dedication, they offered jobs at their new Cannabis Jacks store, which now employs 12 workers.
Laronde says the management team wants to be involved in the community, and so for the grand opening, it hired a band and started raising money for the food bank.
"I think every business should look into what you can do with the community. I think that's where our idea is with Cannabis Jacks. It's not just about making money. We want to be able to provide a service. Other cannabis stores focus online, they don't want to hire people. We start our employees at $17 an hour. Other stores don't want to pay above minimum wage but that's not what we are about."
Laronde says he learned from the restaurant business what customers want and he's using that in the new store.
"People want a fresh product. We want to have great service."
A wide range of customers is coming in the door.
"We have older people. We have middle-aged people who have never tried it before, and that's really exciting because we are learning as well. We want to have the support of the people in North Bay. We want people to come in and feel comfortable, feel happy, and able to ask questions. The experience we want to project when customers come in the store is one of family."
The three also want to help other small businesses in the city and support local organizations. Firefighter calendars are sold in the store with proceeds to Community Living, and raffles of local business products have been conducted.
"We want to provide an opportunity to work with and be a part of the community. We want to make an impact within the community. We want to help the community and be a part of it."
Looking forward Laronde says cannabis drinks look to be a big part of the business's future.
"That's where people are going instead of drinking alcohol. We have drinks that are just like a cooler with 2.5mg of THC all the way up to 10mg. There are some with flavouring like lime, some with zero calories, some without sugar. Some taste like beer. A new one coming out is like an IPA," he exclaimed.
Michael Birch, Cannabis Jacks CEO, told BayToday that the company puts a big focus on education and expanding people's knowledge of cannabis as they move into new products that are available in the market.
"We're going to see a wide range of new products, Currently we have the beverages and the edibles and those will continue to expand and grow the market for cannabis-infused products. We have created a fresh perspective to retail cannabis where the guest experience is paramount, allowing for access to quality cannabis and accessories."
